Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III denied on Thursday (June 25) that his call for an audit of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) was a demolition job targeting Vice President Jejomar Binay, who headed the agency.
“My suggestion that his (Binay’s) tenure or performance as Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chair be audited is not part of any demolition job,” Pimentel told CNN Philippines in a phone interview.
“I was wondering how come the call for an audit was immediately linked by the vice president to a demolition job,” Pimentel added.
Strongly worded
After Pimentel expressed his intentions to ask for an audit of the HUDCC, Binay sent a letter to Pimentel on Wednesday (June 24).
In his letter, the vice president used strong words as he accused the senator of engaging in a demolition campaign against Binay. He even told Pimentel to “man up.”
Part of the letter read: “Obviously, your statement is but part of the demolition by perception employed by you and your Senate cohorts for the last ten months. I hope this is not a bluff. I dare you: Magpakalalaki ka [Man up]. I expect nothing less than a continuation of your demolition campaign against me.”
Pimentel, meanwhile, has yet to send a formal reply to the vice president. The senator said that he will be writing to Binay soon.
‘Logical’ call
Pimentel said that his call for an audit on the HUDCC was “logical” because it could serve as a guide for its next chief. But he admitted that what pushed him to ask for performance and financial reports was an online report of Binay’s supposed milestones as HUDCC head.
“I read after he resigned a report entitled ‘Milestones as Head of the HUDCC’ and there were figures,” Pimentel said.
“It occurred to me that this milestones report, which contains figures, must be validated and the best way to validate this is to audit his performance as HUDCC head.”
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After reading the report, Pimentel proceeded in doing his own research.
He got in touch with a friend in Cagayan de Oro to confirm what was stated in the article. And upon asking if all victims of Typhoon Sendong were accommodated in terms of housing commitments, Pimentel said that he got a “disappointing” reply.
While Pimentel cleared his intentions, he also clarified that he would have the Commission of Audit (COA) look into these matters.
“I did not say that I will audit him. I said I will ask COA,” Pimentel said. “Commission on Audit can do a performance as well as a financial audit.”
Pimentel also implied that the vice president shouldn’t accuse him of being part of any demolition job because COA releases audit reports regularly.
“In the first place, do I already know now the result of the audit? Do I know now that it will be a negative result? It could be a positive result,” Pimentel said. “What if one or two months from now, there’s an audit report and it’s a glowing, positive report in favor of the vice president? Then good for him.”
