Senate orders arrest of VP ‘dummies’; subcommittee losing value, Enrile says

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee yesterday ordered the arrest of the purported dummies of Vice President Jejomar C. Binay.

Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, chair of the Senate panel, issued the directive ahead of its 24th hearing on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2 today.

The panel mainly reinstated its arrest orders against four members of the Chong family – Erlinda Chong, Irish Chong, Irene Chong and Kim Tun Chong – who have not appeared before the subcommittee hearings.

Guingona also approved the motion of Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, head of the subpanel investigating the controversy, to cite in contempt and order the arrest of Dr. Jack Arroyo, nephew of former senator Joker Arroyo; Laureano Gregorio Jr., and Marguerite Lichnock.

Gregorio is purportedly Binay’s alleged dummy for the vast hectare property he owns in Rosario, Batangas.

Lichnock, on the other hand, is the wife of Gerardo “Gerry” Limlingan, who was Binay’s alleged bagman and who was also cited for contempt by the powerful Senate committee. Limlingan, who has gone missing since the start of the investigation, has also been ordered arrested by the Senate panel.

“Her name appears in some of the corporations which have been discussed in the ongoing hearings,” Pimentel explained.

The Senate committee also reinforced its arrest orders on James and Anne Lorraine Tiu, who contributed to Binay’s vice presidential campaign in 2010.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile said the Senate subcommittee is losing steam and value because of its protracted hearings on Binay.

Enrile, a member of the opposition, said he finds it unusual that the subpanel would hold more than 20 hearings on the purported corruption issues of the Binays.

The veteran lawmaker said the panel is becoming “self-destructive.”

“We have not talked about that (in the minority bloc). But an investigation like that is already losing its own steam and value. We never had that experience. It’s unusual in any country for an investigation to last that long in aid of legislation. It destroys itself,” Enrile said in an interview.