Binays to seek SC help vs. Senate probe

Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, will seek intervention from the Supreme Court regarding the ongoing investigation of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee over the alleged irregularities surrounding the Makati City Hall Building II.

In a press conference on Thursday, Mayor Binay's lawyer, Claro Certeza said they will not ask the Supreme Court to stop the investigation but to rule that a whole committee and not just a subcommittee should look into the alleged anomaly.

"Ang hihilingin po namin sa Supreme Court [ay] hindi 'yung ipawalang-bisa 'yung imbestigasyon. 'Yung hihingin namin, sasabihin namin sa mahistrado sa Korte Suprema na ayon sa rules ng Senado, kailangan committee as a whole ang magru-rule. [Itatanong namin kung] pwede po bang i-order sa Senado na dalhin ito sa committee as a whole. Hindi kami nanghihimasok sa kapangyarihan ng Senado," he said.

Certeiza said they will be doing this "as soon as we can."

"Kung pwede bukas, we will do it by tomorrow, given the limitation of time. Kasi October 2, meron na naman daw hearing," he said.

No-shows

Mayor Binay, at a press briefing earlier in the day, said he will not attend the subcommittee's hearings as the panel has already prejudged him and his family. He and his secretary Beng Baloloy skipped the Senate hearing that morning but submitted a letter questioning the panel's jurisdictional authority.

On the other hand, Vice President Binay also excused himself from attending the day's hearing, citing his full schedule.

Certeza said his client, who has appeared before the Senate hearing sans a subpoena, is willing and ready to participate in any investigation, but that they see that the subsequent hearings were "no longer in aid of legislation."

"'Di katanggap-tanggap 'yung ginawa nila kay Mayor Junjun in terms of subjecting him to questions that are not only embarrassing, but to my mind [are] bordering on disrespect already,” he said

Certeza also questioned why the probe seems to involve only three members of the Senate, referring to Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Aquilino Pimentel III, and Antonio Trillanes IV, who filed the resolution requesting for the probe.

"Sinasabi iniimbitahan daw 'yung iba, pero bakit ayaw pumunta ng iba?" he said.

Cayetano has said the Binays' jurisdictional challenge against the subcommittee has no legal basis, adding that the Senate may order the arrest of Mayor Binay and others they summoned.

Trillanes, for his part, said the investigation will proceed “with or without” the Binays. –Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KBK, GMA News