Ex-ally: Document signed by Elenita Binay shows ownership of Rosario property

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado on Thursday presented to the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee a document that supposedly proved that the Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family were the real owners of a controversial farm estate in Rosario, Batangas.

 

In a Powerpoint presentation during the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee, Mercado showed a letter dated September 10, 1997 addressed to JCB Farms Inc. 

 

“Ipakikita ko lang yung pruweba na ang tunay na nagtayo dyan sa mga gusali na yan ay yung pamilya Binay. Ang laman ng sulat ay architectural design and services at ang project ay proposed resthouse to be constructed at Rosario, Batangas,” Mercado said.

 

“Mapapansin sa bandang ibaba yan po ay pinirmahan, ang nakalagay diyan ay conforme o sinasang-ayunan ang nasabing proposal, ang nakapirmang owner, Dr. Elenita Binay. Yan ang nagpapatunay na siya ang kumuha ng arkitekto at siya ang nagsasabing siya ang may-ari,” he added.

Mercado said what has constructed was the first mansion in the Batangas property.

He also showed a letter of Engineer Renato Manrique, dated January 29, 1996, requesting for the purchase of two units of Black and Decker four-inched grinder disc for Rosario, Batangas fencing.

Manrique at that time was the chief of the school board of Makati's District One.

 

“May naka-note na charged to Agri-Fortuna. As per M1, ang ibig sabihin ng M1 ay si  Mayor Jejomar Binay, immediately needed. Nakapirma si Manrique na empleyado ng Makati City,” he said.

 

Another letter of Manrique showed several names which Mercado said he knew to be from Makati.

 

“Sila ay inuutusan ni Engr. Manrique sa utos ni Vice President Binay na magtrabaho sa Batangas. Pero meron din sa feed mill niya sa San Pascual, kaya nanghihingi ng pang-transportation si Engr. Manrique kasi baka mag-abono pa siya,” Mercado said.

 

He said Manrique also wrote a proposal for the construction of P638,000 worth of water tank and another letter addressed to Nestor Alampay, general manager of Agri-Fortuna, through Mrs. Edivis Baloloy, stating for the need to construct a 15,000 gallons and 10,000 gallons cylinder fibreglass tank for the piggery in Batangas.

 

Mercado said he assumed that it was the Makati City government which paid that said requests since the quotation sent by a supplier is addressed to Makati Elementary School.

 

“Ang nagbayad pa po dito ay city government ng Makati...Hindi ako siguradong sigurado na Makati ang nagbayad pero the fact na nakapangalan sa Makati, susunod na diyan ang paggawa ng papel. Pero ako ay walang papel ng PR, PO at voucher ng payment pero yung quotation ay naka-address sa engineer ng Makati,” he said.

 

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano then moved that they request for the copies of the documents from the city hall.

 

Binay and his family have repeated denied owning the property in Rosario, Batangas. The Vice President said he leased a part of the property for his piggery business but he has already divested interest from it since he won in the 2010 polls. —NB, GMA News