Binay on overpricing allegations: Makati entitled to buy 'mamahalin' items

Presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay Sr. on Sunday maintained that he is innocent of the corruption allegations against him during his term as the mayor of Makati City.

At the second-leg of the Pilipinas Debates 2016 held in Cebu City, Binay was asked by fellow candidate, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, to explain a Commission on Audit report supposedly saying that there were irregularities in the Makati City government's purchase of hospital beds and sterilizers during Binay's term as mayor.

“Simpleng simple lang po: P16,000 na sterilizer nabili ng Ospital ng Makati, P1.5 million. Meron po kayong ultrasound. Ang isang ultrasound set P1.3 million, yan po ang nasa bill of particulars nung unang sinimulan ang project. Pero ang aktwal na nabili ay P8 million. COA po ang nagsabi niyan at hindi ako,” Roxas said.

Binay, however, maintained that the veracity of the COA reports are still in question, especially as no cases has been filed against him in court yet.

“Alam mo Mr. Roxas, sa Sandiganbayan, maraming kaso ang natatalo dahil sa yung COA [report] ay hindi nagtatally sa bilang,” Binay said.

“Alam mo yung sinasabi ng kaibigan mo na si Senator [Antonio] Trillanes, na 'ayan oh, ang mahal, mahal nito'. Oops, alam mo, we are entitled to buy mamahalin kasi we have the best practice. Hindi sa presyo titignan kung tama ba ang binibili mo,” he added.

Parking building

Prior to that, Roxas brought up the recent COA report saying that the construction of the P2.28-billion Makati City Hall Building II, also referred as the Makati parking building, was overpriced and did not undergo the proper procedures.

Binay was the mayor of Makati when the parking building project began in 2007. The project was continued by his son, dismissed Makati mayor Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. when the latter assumed his father's post in 2010.

According to the 148-page COA report, a copy of which was obtained by GMA News, the construction of the building, which was done in five phases, "showed irregularities from budgeting to procurement to execution resulting in misuse of public funds."

“Vice President, nandito sa harap ng sambayanan, maari nyo nang sabihin ang buong katotohanan. Hindi ninyo hinarap ang Senado, sabi ninyo parating pulitika lang ito. Pero ang COA, Ombudsman, Senado mismo ang nagsasabi may katiwalian sa Makati noong kayo po ay nanungkulan,” Roxas said.

Binay, however, fired back at Roxas, saying that the latter is part of the supposed demolition team against him.

“Talagang kumbinsido na ho ako, na ikaw ay isa sa namumuno doon sa paggawa ng demolition by perception...E ang nangyayari sa ginagawa ninyo, bintang, bintang ng walang katotohanan. Bakit hukuman ba yung COA para magsabi kung guilty or not guilty?” Binay said.

In the end, Binay said Roxas' claims will remain allegations unless he is proven guilty by the court.

“Uulitin ko lang Mr. Roxas, mga kababayan, hukuman po ang magsasabi kung kami ay guilty or not. Hindi yung bintang mo Mr. Roxas,” Binay said. —Elizabeth Marcelo/JST, GMA News