Former VP Binay, son, to face new graft charges

Former Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son, former Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., are once again in hot water after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered that graft and falsification charges be slapped against them over the anomalous 11.3-billion procurement done for the Makati Science High School Building.

The building, located along Kalayaan Avenue in Makati City, was supposed to stand 10 stories with a four-story dormitory. However, it was only completed as a 10-storey building.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales issued two separate resolutions on August 1 indicting the Binays for four counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and three counts of falsification of public documents. The elder Binay was indicted for his involvement with the start of the project, while the younger Binay for the latter part of the building project.

Meanwhile, Joey Salgado, the spokesperson of the Binay family, said in a statement yesterday that Morales is once again on a “witch hunt” against the Binay family.

“The allegations have been answered, but apparently disregarded by the Ombudsman. It once again underscores the selective prosecution of the Binays and the Ombudsman’s tendency to look the other way when political personalities are involved,” he said.

The Ombudsman’s resolution said that on Sept. 26, 2007, the elder Binay, then the mayor of Makati, entered into a 117.37 million contract with Infiniti for the Architectural & Engineering (A&E) consultancy services for the design of the Makati Science Building.

The contract was allegedly rigged with irregularities, such as the decision to go with negotiated procurement instead of competitive bidding, noncompliance with the required posting of the invitation to bid, and several misrepresentations regarding the alleged bid negotiations, submission and opening of bids, the resolution said.