Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Two of the closest and longtime aides of Vice President Jejomar Binay closed their bank accounts or transferred money as early as late last year before leaving for abroad, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said on Monday (June 29), citing information given to him by an “insider.”
And it’s possible Binay himself had a hand in their leaving, Trillanes said.
News anchor Amelyn Veloso asked him about this in a phone interview aired live on Monday on CNN Philippines’ Headline News.
“How possible is it that the vice president may have had a hand in this?” Veloso said.
“It’s the only possiblitiy. There’s no other possibility,” Trillanes said. “These two will not go underground without his consent. These two know all the secrets on where the bulk of the money of Vice President Binay is.”
He said, however, that he couldn’t be sure when the two left the country, having received the information only a week before.
Veloso asked him about the insider’s identity.
“Well, I can’t give you that name,” the senator said. “I hope you understand, Amelyn, because we will continue to get information [from the insider].”
“So he’s part of the Binay group?” Veloso asked. “How credible is this source?”
“Let’s just say I’m confident that he’s in a position to obtain such information,” he said.
The Binay aides — finance officer Gerardo Limlingan and personal secretary Eduviges “Ebeng” — are among those linked to anomalous Makati City Hall transactions.
It was former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado who bared the alleged anomalies, implicating, among others, Vice President Binay, a former Makati mayor, and his son, the incumbent Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr.
Last month, The Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee, of which Trillanes is a member, cited in contempt Limlingan and Baloloy, along with several others, for failing to attend hearings on the alleged anomalies, which includes the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II.
There’s a standing arrest order against them.
“The information was given to me last week and we have already coordinated with the concerned agencies,” Trillanes said.
He added: “This information could not be obtained last year because as late as last month, the Binay camp actually believed that he could still win the presidency. But we delayed the surveys that they’re down to second and their decline is continuing. Most of the people are starting to abandon them because Vice President Binay won’t be able to protect them anymore. So i think that as we go on more and more information would be obtained as more and more of their companions would start ratting out on each other.”
So what’s the next move of the Senate?
“Well, right now we just need to wait for the Ombudsman’s case to be filed in the Sandiganbayan and after that, the government can actually cancel their passports,” Trillanes said. “And from there, they will be subjected to an international manhunt. So, that would make life very difficult for these two.”
Trillanes was referring to the graft and plunder complaints filed with the Office of the Ombudsman against the vice president and his son and several others, many of them former or incumbent Makati officials, in connection with the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building II.
