Binay didn’t expect ‘little mayor’ Ernesto Mercado’s exposés

Bea Cupin

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Binay didn’t expect ‘little mayor’ Ernesto Mercado’s exposés

Mark Fredesjed R. Cristino

The Vice President assails the character of his former vice mayor, saying he's a gambler who had to let go of his extravagant lifestyle when he lost his mayoralty bid in 2010 to Binay's son

MANILA, Philippines – He was a trusted aide and “little mayor” to now-Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Binay admitted on a televised interview on Tuesday night, October 21, that he did not expect former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado to lead a series of “attacks” against him.

In an interview with Lynda Jumilla on ANC’s Beyond Politics, Binay said Mercado was privy to the inner workings of city hall, even calling him his “little mayor.”

Binay insisted, however, that he did not know about the alleged rigging of bids in the city, supposedly to favor the Binay family’s anointed companies. 

The interview was done the night before the Senate was set to resume its probe into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II. The building is also the basis of plunder raps against Binay and his son, incumbent Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr.

Since the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee probe began almost two months ago, a handful of other allegations – supposedly proof of the Binays’ corruption in Makati – have been hurled against the Vice President and his family. (READ: Ex-ally: VP Binay used dummies to acquire land, businesses)

The whistleblowers include Mercado and other former Makati officials. (READ: Mrs Binay’s royal taste? ‘Kew Gardens,’ aircon piggery)

Binay also assailed the former vice mayor’s character, saying he was a gambler who had to let go of his extravagant lifestyle when he lost his mayoralty bid in 2010 to the younger Binay. 

Binay and Mercado’s relationship turned sour before the 2010 polls. Mercado was expecting to get the endorsement of Binay for his mayoralty bid. Instead, Binay pushed for his own son to take over the post he would vacate. (READ: ‘Mercado not credible, abused VP Binay’s trust’)

Bid-rigging, kickbacks

Former bids and awards committee (BAC) members told the Senate it was Binay himself who would instruct them to award projects to specific companies.

To make the bidding process seem credible, former BAC vice chairman Mario Hechanova said, they listed down other companies, some of which did not actually place any bid. In other instance, Hechanova claimed he locked one would-be bidder in a Makati building elevator to stop him from submitting a bid.

Binay’s answers in the interview were consistent with previous statements made by his spokesman for political affairs, Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla. In a September 4 statement, Remulla said that it was Mercado, Hechanova, and another former official, the late Nelson Morales, who rigged bids in the city.

Hilmarc’s Construction, the contractor of the controversial Makati City Hall Building II, was allegedly one of the beneficiaries of the city’s rigged bids.

Binay admitted to knowing Hilmarc’s “by name” but denied favoring the company over others. Hilmarc’s was also the contractor for several other Makati buildings, including the Ospital ng Makati and the 10-storey Makati Science High School building.

The Vice President insisted that everything was above-board in the construction of the building, despite a Commission on Audit (COA) report that pointed out “red flags” in infrastructure projects in Makati.

“There is a possibility, so hindi pa tapos iyon,” said Binay, referring to the COA report.

Mercado had alleged that, in exchange for favoring certain companies, Binay got a 13% kickback from Makati projects. The money would be split into 3 – for the Binay family, for Binay’s own use, and for his campaign funds. The former vice mayor said he personally delivered Binay’s alleged commissions. 

Mercado is currently under the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP), alongside Renato Bondal and Nicholas Enciso VI, the ones who filed the plunder complaints against Binay and his on before the Ombudsman.

The Vice President claimed that placing his accusers under the WPP is part of Operation Plan Stop Nognog 2016, which was allegedly hatched by his would-be opponents to hurt his chances in 2016. (READ: Binay ‘begged’ Aquino to stop Senate probe)

Binay, so far, is the only candidate to have announced his plans to run for president in 2016. Although he has slipped in recent surveys, he is still the most trusted public official and still leads all other would-be presidential bets.

Will he attend probe?

Despite two invitations from the Senate to attend the hearings and public clamor for Binay to answer the accusations against him before, the Vice President refuses to go.

Through statements from his spokesman, Binay said it was “futile” for him to attend the hearings of a “kangaroo court.”

Binay has criticized the probe from the start, dismissing it as politically motivated. His camp has claimed that the probe is being used by those with political aspirations to boost their chances in 2016.

Leading the probe into Binay’s alleged corrupt ways are senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano, both members of the Nationalista Party. The two senators have also expressed their openness to seeking higher office come 2016. – Rappler.com

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Bea Cupin

Bea is a senior multimedia reporter who covers national politics. She's been a journalist since 2011 and has written about Congress, the national police, and the Liberal Party for Rappler.