Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Lawyer Renato Bondal filed on Tuesday (September 1) third plunder case against Vice President Jejomar Binay in the Office of the Ombudsman.
In his complaint, Bondal said the vice president allegedly profited from the operations of the University of Makati’s (UMak) College of Nursing from the time he was city mayor until now.
According to Bondal, Binay privatized UMak’s College of Nursing through a joint venture with the Systems Technology Institute in 2004.
He accused Binay and his alleged cohorts of pocketing some P500 million in kickbacks through tuition and professional fees collected from the school.
Bondal said the school’s privatization was unnecessary and that it did not result in any improvements in the performance of the university’s nursing students.
“When you look at financials and performance, reasons behind establishing will be clear that it was established to take money out of the school. It was not necessary,” Bondal told reporters.
Bondal, a former barangay chairman in Makati, first made this accusation against Binay during Senate blue ribbon sub-committee’s hearing on the alleged corruption involving Makati officials.
The vice president’s son, suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay is also included as respondent in Bondal’s complaint.
Bondal previously filed two plunder complaints against the vice president and other officials of Makati over the alleged overpricing of the construction of several buildings in the city.
Both cases are still under preliminary investigation before the Ombudsman.
Siblings Junjun, Abigail Binay also face malversation raps
Bondal also filed a malversation case against the vice president’s children, suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and Makati Rep. Mar-len Abigail Binay for allegedly misusing some P25 million of the congresswoman’s pork barrel funds in 2011.
Bondal said Abigail Binay used Makati City government as implementing agency for different projects.
According to Bondal, P15 million was released for the Gabay Pag-asa ng Masa project while P10 million was allotted to Kaakbay Buhay Foundation Inc. on the same year.
Bondal said that these NGOs listed as beneficiaries for the project were fraudulent.
Meanwhile, Congresswoman Binay in a statement said, she was not surprised that a complaint was filed against her and her kin. She said that it is clearly an attempt to destroy the reputation of her father.
“Hindi ko na kinagugulat ang bagong demanda na isinampa sa akin at sa aking pamilya. Makikita sa demandang ito ang pagsasabwatan nang mga taong nais sirain ang aking tatay,” Binay said.
The lawmaker is also convinced that her father’s staunch critics in the Senate have something to do with Bondal’s complaint.
“Hindi ba’t nung isang linggo lang ay nagsalita ako laban kay Senator [Antonio] Trillanes tungkol sa mga akusasyon na naman niya sa akin na walang basehan?! Ano ang sagot niya? Sinabi niya na maghahain sya nang kaso laban sa akin ngayong Martes. Eh bakit si Atty. Bondal ang nag file?” asked Binay.
The Makati representative also defended her projects, saying she has enough proof to show that her projects are not bogus.
“Dati ko nang sinabi na ang aking PDAF bago siya idineklara na unconstitutional nang Korte Suprema ay ginamit ko ayon sa proseso at hindi ghost projects. Suportado nang mga dokumento, mga litrato at aktwal na beneficiaries”.
She then went on and challenged Trillanes to prove the same on the use of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
“Masasabi kaya ito ni Senator Trillanes sa kanyang PDAF at mga consultants?” congresswoman Binay said in her statement.
VP Binay: Plunder case filed because Senate probe is losing audience
For Vice President Jejomar Binay, Bondal filed a plunder case against him before the Office of the Ombudsman because the Senate blue ribbon sub-committee hearing is already losing its following.
“Siguro kaya ho naghabla ito kasi wala na, palaos na iyong serye sa senado kaya tuloy pa uli ang pagsisinungaling at pagbibintang,” the vice president said.
Asked about the technicalities of the case, Binay refused to comment. He said he will have to study the issue first.
The vice president is convinced that there will be more demolition jobs against him as the election draws nearer.
CNN Philippines’ AC Nicholls and Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.
