VP Binay can attend Senate probe on Makati building – Pimentel

Vice President Jejomar Binay (Photo courtesy of Binay’s official Facebook page)

MANILA – Sen. Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III said on Monday Vice President Jejomar Binay can attend anytime the Senate inquiry into the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall parking building on Wednesday.

”He will be invited. Actually even if he’s not invited and he wants to appear, as the presiding officer of the hearing, I will allow the VP to attend and speak out if he has something to say,” Pimentel said in a media interview.

Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Teofisto Guingona III gave way to Pimentel who manifested last week his desire to chair the Senate inquiry.

Pimentel said it was not the first time that a sub-committee head has chaired a Senate Blue Ribbon inquiry into major anomalies.

On Monday afternoon, Guingona met the Blue Ribbon committee members to inform them that he decided to constitute a sub-committee to hear a Senate resolution filed by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on the controversial Makati parking building.

”Senator TG cited the legal basis which is Section 20 of our rules of inquiry of the Senate. There are just some clarificatory questions, inquiries. Actually, no objection,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and former officials of Makati City and auditors will appear in the Senate Sub-Blue Ribbon committee investigation.

Pimentel said he requested to chair the Senate probe for him to be able to familiarize better with the local government system.

”When I learned about the resolution (of Trillanes), I said if I can hear it because I have a pet bill here in the Senate, the Bigger Pie, Bigger Slice which will bring more resources to local government units (LGUs).

So I want to know more about LGUs, how they generate funds, how they spend their funds, how they borrow,” Pimentel reasoned out.

Vice President Binay took over as president of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) when Pimentel decided to run for reelection under Liberal Party coalition in the last 2013 elections.