Tarant***o!!! Abogado ka pa naman! Dito natin nakikita kung paano ganito ang Senate Blue Ribbon Committee para manira ng mga kalaban ng administrasyon.
-======================================================================
(Updated 2:08 p.m.) Lawyer Renato Bondal admitted Tuesday that his accusation that the cakes given to senior citizens by the Makati city government were overpriced was just a "wild guess."
“'Yun po ay hula lang namin,” Bondal said during the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2 when asked by Senator Vicente Sotto III.
During the committee’s hearing last week, Bondal said the cakes cost P1,000 each.
But during Tuesday’s hearing, Eleno Mendoza of the Makati city administration said the price of each cake is only P306.75.
He said it is bigger than eight-inch cakes previously given by the city government.
He said the cake cost only P179.50 in 2010 and P180 in 2011 until October 2013. The price of the cake increased to P305 in November to December 2013 when its size became bigger.
Bondal said he is asking the committee to subpoena the checks paid for the cakes to determine its true price.
Sen. Nancy Binay involved?
Also during the hearing, former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado said it was Senator Nancy Binay, then a staff of then Mayor Jejomar Binay, who was involved with the cakes distributed by the local government.
“Siya (Nancy) ang namamahala sa paggawa ng cake. Araw-araw halos nakakapunta ako sa kanila, ‘yun ang aking nakikita. Ang alam ko negosyo niya talaga 'yun. Pinangatawanan na niya ang paggawa ng cake,” he said.
He said he does not know, however, how much the cakes cost.
Former Makati city administrator Marjorie de Veyra said they have been getting the city’s cakes from their supplier Cups and Mugs since 2010. These cakes have been delivered to some 100,000 senior citizens by the staff of the Social Welfare and Development Office.
In a press statement, Senator Binay denied her involvement in the procurement of cakes saying the mention of her name was part of a demolition job against their family.
“I deny in the strongest terms possible and condemn the malicious claim of former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado that I have economic or financial interest in the supply of cakes for senior citizens at the Makati City Hall,” she said.
“I have never been involved, and will never be involved in any activity that violates rules on conflict of interests particularly in businesses relating to the Makati City government and/or the national government,” she added.
She further said that since she does not know how to bake, she cannot deliver a cake to the city hall.
“While I wish I can bake, but I do not know how to bake. Wala akong bakeshop, at bakit ako magsu-supply sa city hall e bawal na bawal 'yun? We can see here na ako na po ang next family member on their demolition list,” she said.
“Pinagkatiwalaan ng aking ama si dating Vice Mayor Mercado. Tinrato siya na parang kapatid. Ang sinukli ni Mr. Mercado ay ang abusuhin ang tiwala ng aking ama. Umamin siya na nakinabang sa City Hall Bldg. 2, at pilit niyang idinadamay ang aking ama. Madaling magdamay ng ibang tao at manira ng pangalan,” Binay added.
Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr was not present during the hearing due to "personal reasons" as stated in the letter he sent to the committee. —KG, GMA News
