Senate to deliberate citing contempt on 19 Binay allies

Senate of the Philippines (Wikipedia photo)

MANILA — The Senate blue ribbon committee is set to deliberate on recommending contempt charges against  a list of persons who refused to appear during the inquiry into corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The deliberation is set at 1pm today and will be headed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III with member Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano.

Among the list of Binay allies to be considered during the deliberation are engineers Line de la Pena and Mario Badillo, Bernadette Portallano, Vissia Marie Aldon, Aida Alcantara, Danilo Villas, Hirene Lopez, Tomas Lopez, Irene Chong, Kim Tun Chong, Erlinda Chong, Kimsfer Chong, Iris Chong, Antonio Tiu, Anne Lorraine Buencamino-Tiu, James Tiu, and long-time Binay aides Gerry Limlingan and Eduviges Baloloy.

While Senator Nancy Binay earlier said that she believes that Limlingan and Baloloy would soon appear at the proper investigative body, Pimentel noted that authorities have not yet tracked down where the two are currently residing.

In a radio interview, Pimentel said that the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation failed to detect the whereabouts of Limlangan and Baloloy.

According to the Anti-Money Laundering Council, both former Binay aides had joint bank accounts with Binay.

“The hearings are possibly about to end, they will get away with it,” Pimentel said.