VP Binay dared to open bank accounts

THE PRESUMPTION of innocence changes in the face of strong evidence.

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano made this statement as he once again challenged Vice President Jejomar Binay to open his bank accounts to prove that he did not steal from the country’s coffers.

“The evidence is very clear,” said Cayetano, citing the recent Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report on Binay’s alleged bank accounts.

The AMLC report was the basis of a Court of Appeals order freezing the assets of Binay, his son Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay and their associates.

“If the Binays stole nothing, the total of P10 billion or, I think, P16 billion that the AMLC had found and the P3.3 billion withdrawn in four months, where did that come from? Did it rain money in Makati and the Binay family got all of them? Of course, that money had to come from somewhere,” he said.

According to Cayetano, the Binay camp had merely dismissed the allegations against them with general denials.

“Unless the Binays allow their accounts to be opened, it’s just their word. If they want people to believe they did not steal, that the money they earned is legitimate, then they should open up their accounts,” he said.

Cayetano noted that Binay had joined those calling on then President MacapagalArroyo and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo to submit a waiver to open their accounts when the couple were hounded by corruption allegations.

But now that the Senate wants to look into his bank accounts, Binay said it was not necessary, Cayetano said.

Binay yesterday said he did not steal from the country unlike former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, his former ally who had said he would return his share of the kickbacks.

He also dismissed Mercado’s challenge for him to do the same.

Binay expressed confidence he would be able to prove wrong the allegations of corruption levelled against him and members of his family.

“I am very confident that we can debunk all the false, erroneous and misleading conclusions of the AMLC, which is just part of a conspiracy of the Liberal Party to unleash government agencies against my family and private individuals in their efforts to malign me,” Binay said.