Binay wants to attend Senate hearing on November 6

Vice President Jejomar Binay wants to attend the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing this Thursday, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president Toby Tiangco said.

Tiangco objects to Binay’s plan

Speaking to ANC, Tiangco said as of Monday evening, Binay was keen on attending the mother committee’s hearing.

Tiangco, however, admitted he remains against the vice-president’s appearance in the hearing.

“Gusto niya i-depensa ang sarili niya eh. Kagabi sabi niya, ‘Pabayaan niyo na akong pumunta,'” Tiangco said.

Tiangco said he will still try to convince Binay to skip the hearing, noting that the persecution of the vice-president and his family will continue even if he appears in Senate.

He explained, “Sabi ko lang, ‘Sir, can I talk about it please, please, please, because this is about politics and it is our duty to protect you from the game that they want you to play. You shouldn’t go there.'”

Tiango then added, “Kailan ba ito hihinto? Kahit sagutin niya ito ngayon, hindi hihinto ito, lalo lang tatagal ito, lalo lang siyang magpapaliwanag. Matatapos ang 2016 elections, hindi siya matatapos magpaliwanag kapag pumayag ulit siya dito.”

Tiangco said Binay must remain focused on trumpeting his platforms and achievements as a public servant. He said repeatedly answering the allegations is exactly what Binay’s political foes want.

Invitation issued

Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, formally invited Binay to a hearing on the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall building II and other corruption activities in Makati.

This is after Binay’s camp said the vice-president will only appear in the Senate if the mother committee, and not the sub-committee, will invite him to the hearing.

The subcommittee, headed by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, has already conducted 10 hearings, none of which was attended by Binay.

Conflict in the VP’s camp?

Tiangco, who has admitted to be at odds with other Binay allies over certain decisions, clarified that the condition on attending the Senate hearing did not come directly from the vice-president.

Binay believes that the sub-committee probe, dominated by Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano, is meant to persecute his family and hurt his chances in the 2016 elections.

Controversial cases

Aside from the alleged overpricing of the Makati building, Binay is also being accused of owning a sprawling estate in Rosario, Batangas, an allegation the vice-president has repeatedly denied.

In an interview on Monday, Trillanes said he will give Binay about 30 minutes to appear before the mother committee on Thursday. If this time period lapses without Binay in Senate, he said the sub-committee will push through with its own hearing.

“Kapag hindi siya dumating doon, magco-convene ang sub-committee at tuloy-tuloy ang investigation. Meron tayong pasasabugin na bago tungkol dito kay VP Binay,” Trillanes said.