{"id":40254,"date":"2015-01-29T15:02:02","date_gmt":"2015-01-29T07:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=40254"},"modified":"2015-01-29T18:14:03","modified_gmt":"2015-01-29T10:14:03","slug":"junjun-binay-forced-into-senate-chambers-then-freed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2015\/01\/29\/junjun-binay-forced-into-senate-chambers-then-freed\/","title":{"rendered":"Junjun Binay forced into Senate chambers, then freed"},"content":{"rendered":"

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MANILA — Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin ‘JunJun’ Binay was arrested by the Senate sergeant-at-arms Thursday morning and was forcibly brought into the Senate chambers to attend the Blue Ribbo Subcommittee hearing on the alleged overpricing of buildings in Makati City.<\/p>\n

In the Instagram video recorded and posted by GMA7 reporter Sandra Aquinaldo, Binay was seen being forced into the Senate chambers for the hearing.<\/p>\n

However, after firmly refusing to participate in the hearing, Senator Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel was left with no choice but to let Binay leave freely.<\/p>\n

“We will respect your request that you not be asked questions anymore, you lose your chance to give your inputs on this subject matter,” Pimentel said. “You are free to go.”<\/p>\n

In an interview with the media, veteran senator Joker Arroyo noted that this investigation will be noted in history as one of the longest cases of the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee.<\/p>\n

“This case [has been] going on for five months. This is longest in blue ribbon history in 60 years,” Arroyo said, also recalling Norberto Gonzales who was cited in contempt in the last seven years.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, another veteran senator and lawyer Rene Saguisag said that he has filed a motion for reconsideration.<\/p>\n

“Nagfile ako ng<\/em> supplement sa<\/em> [motion for reconsideration] and I am glad to see Mabini colleagues because this is human rights issue,” Saguisag said.<\/p>\n

“A person must be given every chance to defend himself,” Arroyo said, saying that since Binay is now free, there was no violation of human rights.<\/p>\n

In his press conference after being freed, Binay said he sustained bruises after being dragged into the chambers by Senate security.<\/p>\n

“I have to be bodily taken to the plenary kaya medyo napadiin ang kapit. Yes, I was forced to attend the hearing physically as evidenced by the bruise nga ho. Kinapitan po ako, dalawa po yata, hindi ko na maalala masyadong mabilis ang pangyayari. I\u2019m sure I had one on the left and one on the right,” Binay said.<\/p>\n

Binay said his camp will not be filing a writ of habeas corpus as of the moment since he is no longer in detention.<\/p>\n

He also said that since this is now a legal issue, he will be coordinating with his lawyers.<\/p>\n

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Mayor Binay bodily brought to the hearing of the Senate subcommittee.<\/a><\/p>\n

A video posted by sandra aguinaldo (@sandraaguinaldo) on