It’s VP’s accuser who asked for bribes: Property firm to sue Mercado

Alphaland Corporation, the property firm which was dragged into controversy by an enemy of Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay, will sue the accuser, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, for criminal libel and defamation. The company is seeking P100 million in damages, reports ABS-CBN News Online. Mercado, a former long-time ally of Binay, alleged that Alphaland gave Binay a commission for ensuring that the firm would get the contract to jointly develop a prime property in Makati, where the Binays rule. The company denied “categorically and in the strongest possible terms” the accusations, and revealed that it was Mercado who pressured and harassed the company to give him “benefits,” which Alphaland refused to give.