‘Binay got P651M from land deal’

BSP, Alphaland officials deny ex-VM’s allegation; Ongpin: former vice mayor not harassed

VICE President Jejomar Binay allegedly got up to P651 million from a land deal between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) and property developer Alphaland Corp., former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado said yesterday.

At the resumption of the Senate hearing on alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2, Mercado said the vice president’s kickback was not only P189 million as he earlier claimed.

Binay allegedly used the kickback to fund his vice presidential campaign in 2010, the vice mayor said.

Mercado said Binay could have received larger kickbacks from Alphaland after selling its nine million shares to Noble Care Management Corp., a company owned by Alphaland president and chief executive officer Mario Oreta.

The former Makati official said the nine million shares were sold at P10 per share when its real value at the stock market was P62 per share.

“The almost nine million shares sold to Noble Care did not only cost P89 million but it could be higher than P551 million from P62 per share,” Mercado said.

Mercado also alleged that Alphaland and Noble Care gave Binay a P100-million loan but was condoned.

“If we are going to add the condoned P100.4-million loan, the kickback will range from P233 million to P651 million,” he added.

BSP and Alphaland officials, however, denied the former vice mayor’s allegation.

“The agreement is entirely forthright and aboveboard. It underwent the required process and procedure,” BSP secretary general Wendel Avisado said.

Avisado said it was Mercado who negotiated and signed the agreement while he was the senior vice president and chairman of the corporate assets and management committee of the BSP.

“Mercado was fully aware that the agreement is thoroughly discussed and approved by the BSP National Executive Board,” Avisado said.

To bring down the vice president (Jejomar Binay), Avisado said Mercado did not mind dragging the BSP into the issue.

“By his reckless accusations, he is sowing confusions, suspicion, and distrust in the BSP as a lawful youth serving institution,” he added.

Alphaland owner Roberto Ongpin also dismissed Mercado’s claims, saying they are just “numbers” and “assertions.”

Property developer Alphaland, mean- while, denied yesterday that the P100million libel case it filed against Mercado is a threat to silence him regarding his knowledge about the alleged anomalous land deal.

Ongpin said they will “aggressively pursue” the damage suit even as Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV warned him for issuing “threats” against Mercado.

“It is not a threat. We have already filed the damage suit and we have filed the criminal complaint,” he said at the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee on the corruption allegations against Vice President Binay.

Trillanes said the ability of Mercado to testify before the Senate may be affected because of the case, which was filed last Jan. 27.

“Yes, you have a right to do that. But, as a resource person, we will not allow you to do that. The Senate, as an institution, will do its very best to protect its witnesses,” he said.