Despite having been subjected to numerous checks, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer Vice-president Jejomar Binay said he welcomes examinations of his lifestyle, track record and health anytime.
“The Vice-president volunteered to open his bank accounts, as well as those of his family, to be inspected. He also welcomes checks on his lifestyle, performance as a public official, and health,” said UNA Communications Director Joey Salgado.
He noted that nothing was seen when the Vice-president and his family underwent lifestyle check when he was still mayor of Makati and during the past administration.
“Only under this administration, due process and indepedence of the institutions were not observed in order to destroy the VP,” said Salgado, adding that the checks should include scrutiny of the candidate’s track record.
“Let’s do a check on track record of performance, non-performance, poor performance or no performance,” said Salgado.
Binay showed the media copies of his signed bank waiver; Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth from 1988 to 2014; the affidavit he submitted to the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee; his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE); and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) ex parte motion to drop JCB Foundation, Agrifortuna and six other respondents.
Binay also brought with him his medical certificate; the plaque for the 2011 Seal of Good House Keeping from the Department of the Interior and Local Government signed by the late DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo; the plaque for the 2014 Blue Certification for Business Permits from the Office of the Ombudsman signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales; and the plaque from the National Competitive Council for being the 1st Place Most Competitive City in the overall competitiveness category.
Claro Certeza, counsel for the Vice-president, recalled that the AMLC earlier filed an ex parte motion to examine the 242 bank accounts they linked to Binay “without notice to us, they examined all those bank accounts but before they did that.”
The AMLC later requested the Manila regional trial court to drop from its list of respondents in the civil forfeiture case JCB Foundation, AgriFortuna and six others – indicating its failure to find strong evidence linking the Vice-president to alleged dirty money his detractors said were funneled through the accounts of the said entities and individuals.
The Vice-president’s sharing of documents was thumbed down by all other candidates during the debate in Cebu, citing Comelec rules on debates that they would not be allowed to bring notes.
Binay also dared his rivals to sign a waiver allowing AMLC to check their bank accounts and those of their family members.
The waiver, which Binay brought during the second presidential debate in Cebu, will authorize AMLC or its representatives to “open and check all bank accounts under my name, my spouse’s, and my children’s to ensure full transparency in this election process.”
The waiver indicated the candidates would “submit ourselves to a lifestyle and government service performance check in accordance with law.”
The waiver was among the documents that Binay brought but was not allowed to present during the debate. (SWCA)
