MANILA, Philippines – The ruling Liberal Party (LP) has nothing to do with the freeze order on the bank accounts of Vice President Jejomar Binay, President Benigno Aquino III said on Thursday, May 14.

In an interview on Bombo Radyo aired Thursday, Aquino responded to allegations of the Binay camp that the LP is behind the Court of Appeals (CA)’s freeze order and the investigation of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). 

“Number one, I have not seen that AMLC report. Number two, the one person from the Liberal Party I was talking to earlier told me that they’re also looking for a copy of the AMLC report,” Aquino said. (READ: AMLC: Binay et al moved large sums of US dollars)

Aquino said it would be the court that would have jurisdiction over the report of the AMLC, which he stressed is an “independent body.”

When asked, the President refused to give Binay any advice following the controversy.

“I’m split. My mother told me she doesn’t appreciate unsolicited advice. So in this case – if I give advice, and the Vice President is much older than me and he isn’t asking for my advice – I think it’s best to keep the advice to myself,” he said.

The freeze order issued against Binay was in relation to the CA’s findings that he and his supposed dummies had “large and frequent” bank transactions during the construction of the alleged overpriced Makati parking building and Makati Science High School from 2008 to 2014.

His daughter, Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday, hinted that LP president-on-leave Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II was behind the freeze order. She said it saddened her that the AMLC has been exploited to pin down the rivals of the LP. (READ: Nancy Binay on freeze order: Roxas ‘so desperate’)

Binay, a member of the opposition, is leading in presidential polls in the lead up to the 2016 elections. Roxas is the presumed bet of the LP.

Roxas placed 6th in the March Pulse Asia survey with a 4% rating against Binay’s 29%. – Rappler.com