Court allows Binay to go on pilgrimage

The Sandiganbayan has allowed former Makati City Mayor Elenita Binay to join her husband former Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay to travel to Israel for a two-week pilgrimage this month.

In two separate resolutions released on Thursday, the Sandiganbayan’s Third, Fourth and Fifth Divisions granted Mrs. Binay the permission for her “Holy Land Pilgrimage” from May 15 to 29, 2017, together with her husband.

However, the anti-graft court set some conditions on the travel motion of Mrs. Binay.

The Sandiganbayan said that Mrs. Binay should not leave the country earlier than May 15, 2017 and that she should return to the country before May 29, 2017.

Mrs. Binay should also personally appear before the Division Clerks of Court within 15 days upon return to the country.

The Sandiganbayan ordered Mrs. Binay to bring her passport and photocopies of some documents showing her departure and return to the country.

Mrs. Binay is facing graft and malversation charges before the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division for the alleged anomalous purchase of hospital beds and sterilizers for the Ospital ng Makati amounting to Php 45 million.

Likewise, Mrs. Binay is also facing a graft case before the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division in connection with the alleged anomalous purchase of office partitions and furnitures amounting to Php 72.06 million in 1999 when she was the Makati City mayor.

On the other hand, after the conditional arraignment of Binay, Sr. on Wednesday, he was also allowed by the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division to travel to Israel.

Binay, Sr. is facing graft, falsification and malversation charges for the alleged overpriced construction of the Php 2.2-billion Makati parking building.