Vice President Jejomar Binay wants a law against bullying by public officials as he slammed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for linking the Home Development Mutual (Pag-IBIG) Fund in Delfin Lee’s syndicated estafa case, which Binay described as a form of bullying to taint his reputation.
“If there is a law against bullying in schools to protect students, there should also be a law against bullying public officials,” Binay said in a statement.
The vice president criticized the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee’s decision to grill the HDMF (Pag-IBIG) Fund over Delfin Lee, when it was Pag-IBIG that filed charges of syndicated estafa against Lee.
He described the senate probe as a “pit of snake.”
Binay said that the Senate hearings were a form of “bullying,” and demeans his post as the country’s second highest official.
“All Pag-Ibig’s transactions and contracts had gone through the proper processes. We discovered the anomalous transactions of Delfin Lee. Napakarami hong double sale, at hindi ko nga maintindihan kung bakit kami pa ang iimbestigahan ng Senado,” Binay said in a radio interview in Northern Samar.
Binay also deplored that the gains of Pag-IBIG were being undermined by Senator Antonio Trillanes’ stance of defending the Globe Asiatique owner in the latter’s efforts to throw mud at him.
The Vice President belied Lee’s extortion allegations, saying that he himself advised lawyers not to include charges against former Vice President Noli de Castro because there was no evidence found against him.
According to Binay, the uncovering of fraudulent transactions by Globe Asiatique led to reforms in the Fund’s processes, which, along with the exponential increase in Pag-IBIG’s membership and revenue, made it one of the “most outstanding government agencies.”
In 2014, the Fund achieved its highest gross and net income in its 34-year history at P30.68 billion and P16.22 billion, respectively, and reached a membership of 14.76 million.
“We need not state the obvious that the two are now working hand in hand to demolish the gains of Pag-IBIG Fund under the leadership of Vice President Binay. The allegations against the judge handling Mr. Lee’s case must be dealt with by the court concerned. It is evident that Mr. Lee is looking for a friendly forum where he could defend himself against the crime he allegedly committed against thousands of Pag-IBIG members and at the same time conveniently get back at the Vice President, who was instrumental in curbing anomalies in the housing sector,” the Vice President’s spokesperson for political concerns, lawyer Rico Quicho earlier said.
“Senator Trillanes shows that he has absolutely no respect for the principle of due process, and the equality of the three branches of government. He is willing to sacrifice the pillars of democracy and due process before the altar of political expediency. He has become so desperate that he disregards the efforts of the Judiciary to win the people’s trust and confidence,” Quicho said in his statement.
He said Trillanes should stop acting that he is above the law and should realize that the rule of law still prevails.