Win Tayong Lahat

WIN sa balita

Gatchalian says Binay detractors already clutching at straws

Photo by DZMM

Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) Congressman Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian today deplored the destructive kind of politics being practiced by detractors of Vice President Jejomar Binay to the point of insisting there is a crime committed when clearly there is none.

 

Gatchalian was referring to the latest media attack on VP Binay in which he was accused by unidentified sectors of being the administrator of four lots, totaling more than 2 hectares, in Dingalan town in Aurora province facing the Pacific Ocean.
“This could be another case of “kuryente” or bum steer peddled to media by anti-Binay elements. Clearly, the vice president’s detractors are already clutching at straws just to sustain the negative attacks against VP Vinay,” said Gatchalian, whose party is allied with the administration.
Gatchalian emphasized that had the media checked on the documents pertaining to the supposed lots in Dingalan, Aurora, “it can be easily noticed that Vice President did not execute the purported tax declaration due to the absence of his signature in any of the documents obtained by newspaper.”
“Neither was there any proof of authenticity on the purported documents. The owners or VP Binay, for that matter, did not sign the sworn statements of ownership or subscribed to these documents. Makati City, which was typed on the space, does not amount to anything,” explained Gatchalian.
It was Binay’s communications director Joey Salgado who pointed out to the media that the vice president’s accuser – Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado – is the one who owns properties in Dingalan, Aurora.
Aurora officials confirmed that Mercado owned several lots next to the lots supposedly owned by Binay. There are no structures on lots administered by Binay, while Mercado’s lots are being developed as a resort, according to the unnamed local officials.
“This is another case of déjà vu as this is no different from Mercado’s claim that the VP Binay owned a condo unit at The Peak Tower in Makati when the real owner is Mercado himself,” Gatchalian pointed out.
The condo unit is under the name of Ariel Olivar, who turned out to be Mercado’s cousin and a known dummy in several businesses, according to the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).
Gatchalian said he supports VP Binay’s plan to take legal action against those behind the continuing media bashing as this could be the only way to put a stop to all those malicious and baseless accusations.
“It’s about time that VP Binay get back at his accusers by filing cases against them. Some of his accusers have already crossed the boundary between valid allegations and baseless accusations that smacks of slander,” said Gatchalian, who represents the first district of Valenzuela City in Congress. (Monica Cantilero)