Condo unit belongs to Mercado – Binay’s camp

Vice President Jejomar ‘Jojo’ Binay (Facebook photo)

MANILA – Denying claims that Vice President Jejomar Binay received condominium units in exchange for tax rebates, Binay’s camp said that the condo unit at the The Peak in Makati belonged to Ernesto Mercado, not Binay.

The unit was the scene of the 2002 gun slaying of Mercado’s girlfriend, and Mercado was the prime suspect, according to Binay’s camp.

In a statement published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla dismissed claims that the Vice President used dummies to cover up for his ownership of the condo units.

He added that the claims were “bare-faced lies, mere allegations unsupported as usual by evidence.”

Remulla also passed the blame on Mercado adding that he was the “real owner” of the said unit at The Peak.

He said that Racquel Ambrosio, a daughter of the late comedian Babalu and Mercado’s former live-in partner lived and was killed in the same unit on April 24, 2002.

“The gun used in the shooting was registered to Mercado. He surrendered the gun after the incident and even admitted to cleaning the crime scene,” Remulla said, adding that the couple had an “altercation” before the shooting incident.

“It is only too clear that Mercado’s agenda is to fool the public and cover up his ownership of many undeclared properties,” Remulla added.