Inside Philippine politics & beyond

My Opening Statement during the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee probe on VP Binay

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Your Honors,

Two decades ago, the Senate was my beat as a reporter.

I am here today because I was summoned by a Subpoena ad Testifcandum, to appear before a sub-committee of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee

The subpoena included a warning – ‘Fail not under penalty of law.’

When I asked what the sub-committee wanted from me, I was told that the sub-committee wanted to know if it was true I had interviewed the Vice-President in 2010.

I am here in my capacity as a professional journalist. I have been one for several decades. I’ve broken a few stories as an investigative journalist: in 2000, I unearthed the story of the Muslim Youth Foundations of then president Joseph Estrada. Two years ago, I wrote about the unexplained wealth of then Chief Justice Renato Corona. This month I wrote a series of stories for my blog about Vice President Binay

In my years as a journalist I’ve interviewed numerous politicians. Before the May 2010 elections I made it a point to interview the major presidential candidates: Senator Manuel Villar, Senator Chiz Escudero before he quit the race, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and by chance, Senator Benigno Aquino III. I skipped Joseph Estrada whom I had interviewed countless times, even while he was in detention. My interview with him resulted in then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo barring him from attending his grand school reunion.

I only interviewed VP Binay after his stunning victory over Mar Roxas, for a story I was doing for the South China Morning Post. I thought then that he was aspiring for the presidency. But I needed to ask him directly about all the persistent allegations of corruption against him.

I believe it’s part of a journalist’s job to ask the tough questions and  to be as fair as possible in getting people’s explanations.

I’m also here as a journalist who runs a political blog where many issues are actively discussed in what my commenters have coined as Cyber Plaza Miranda. And where the commenters have provided much insight and information. I’ll probably be writing about my experiences here today because I’ve never covered a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report – I mean story inside – we used to call it “The Cage”.

I also believe that this investigation is in aid of legislation. The probe is showing the crying need for a Freedom of Information Law.

Another thing, your Honors. We have an anti-Dummy Law that punishes those who serve as dummies for foreign investors. I believe we do not have an Anti-Dummy law to punish those who serve as dummies to hide the wealth of government officials.

I hope you can help address these.

Thank you.

– Raissa Robles

foreign correspondent

investigative reporter

blogger – raissarobles.com: inside Philippine politics and beyond

Comments

  2. … watched you on tv last thursday… am so glad that you brought up the FOI Bill and your suggestion for the Senate to work on an Anti Dummy Law… you are absolutely right !!! … nothing of this magnitude would have happened if only the FOI Bill was passed and signed right away by the previous and now the current administration… God Bless and more power, Raissa.

    • thanks. parr of the foi law would be the automatic online posting of salns and actual winning bid contracts.

  3. I’m glad to see you contribute to this hearing, Raissa. Let’s all pray this investigation will lead to something positive for our country (ie. punishment for the plunderers). Keep up the good work, Raissa.

  4. ‘Our place in Batangas’
    Solita Collas-Monsod

    @inquirerdotnet
    Philippine Daily Inquirer
    12:53 AM | Saturday, November 1st, 2014

    the boundary stones of the property engraved with “EB” (Elenita Binay),

    george seven says:
    October 31, 2014 at 12:37 pm
    http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20100331-261859/Lessons-in-politics On target
    Lessons in politics
    By Ramon Tulfo
    Philippine Daily Inquirer
    First Posted 21:51:00 03/31/2010

    The wife reportedly asked her husband to sign papers for the separation of their conjugal property amounting to billions of pesos.

    When the candidate refused, she threatened to expose how he amassed wealth while in office and added that she was moving over to his rival?s camp on the campaign trail.

    Fearing a national scandal, the candidate signed the papers.
    —————————————————————————————————————————————————————

    thus explain the true meaning of E.B. (electric box according to tiu)

    • think if we open the box and found no electric cables . . . they have got to be boundary markers. surveyors put them there.

    • Raissa,

      What do you think of Tiu’s answer about the name of the school that had a field trip at the Batangas farm? And Efren Canlas of Hilmarc invoking his right from self inciriminations? These happened towards the end of the hearing, it seems to me nobody was paying attention.

  5. hi raissa!

    i saw you on youtube – senate blue ribbon committee

    glad to connect a face to a name i follow on the internet.

    more power!

    • when he was interviewed by the ABS-CBN Jumilla (? ), he was asked at different segment of the interview if these two wil lappear in the senate probe, his answers were the same ” pinag-aaralan pa nang mga abogado ko ” That sounds like he has c control over them.

        • most likely the two have been paid enormously. millions perhaps, not to surface. and those two had better grow eyes behind the back of thier heads. binays knows where they are and it will be easy for him to liquidate them at his pleasure. silence them for good.

        • binay’s mga abogado, what’s taking them so long to make decision? are they working to make decision, or just twiddling their thumbs and doing nothing and collecting their pay?

          in the meantime, binay send two of his spokesmen to gate crash senate probe and both were given marching order. out of the senate, cretins. no gate crashing allowed.

    • Is it not obvious by now that Binay has his own Witness Protection Program which may be very expensive.

      • a witness protection program to supplant de lima’s witness protection program. expensive with the witnesses – expandable. if binay got tired of the witnesses, he’ll turn them into blood and bone fertilizer for the orchids.

  8. If it would have been a courtroom testimony, the defense lawyers would have been shouting “leading, your honor!” at every chance they have. Raissa was laying down one fox trap after another with her description of the Binay mansion in Makati. The wrapped glass bowls with “Alfonso” and “Batangas” labels, the Tahiti ceiling fans, the antique santos and buddhas, the museum-grade paintings – all these seemed just a plain narrative of what was seen in the house but were actually dots that connect to the current controversies hounding the Binays. It was a masterstroke of an investigative journalist who makes investigative citizens out of her readers. It was a fitting prelude to make the people better understand the context of VP Binay’s answers to Raissa’s questions during the interview. It was an OMG moment for most viewers of the live coverage, but CPMers are privileged to read it first here. Soldier on!

  9. The HUGE TRACT OF LAND in question was allegedly purchased by tsekwa Antonio Tiu from one LAUREANO GREGORIO, who if I remember right, was ONCE A FAMILY DRIVER AND SECURITY GUARD of the Binays. How in tarnation could a mere “family driver and security guard” manage to own such a huge tract of agricultural land worth nearly HALF-A-BILLION PESOS!! Why have Pimentel, Trillanes and Cayetano not touched on THIS WEIRDINESS AND IMPROBABILITY? PAGING PIMENTEL, CAYETANO AND TRILLANES!!!!

    Raissa, maybe you can expand this line… using your journalistic nvestigative prowess. Thank you.

    • yup .. it seems they forgot to press on that line of argument .. kaso wala nga si Gregorio, nagtatago e, tsaka more damaging sya sa binay camp kung lumabas sa senate …. driver lang kasi, di kayang magsinungaling ng malalim …

      • Palagay ko, it is not that “they forgot to press on that line of argument”. They are simply trying to unmask the real owner/s of the Rosario property systematically layer by layer – si Tiu ngayon, si Gregorio na ang susunod.

        Sa dami kasi ng mga nagsusulputang leads, observers like us are tempted to follow all of them simultaneously. Mahirap ‘yan. We might lose track of the main plot if we follow the unfolding sublots.

        • yes…..you are absolutely right. patience, dear CPMers! darating din iyan…remember Corona investigation???

        • order shoot to kill , am sure si limliman ang gregorio will appear unless they are 6 ft below the ground now

  10. Cool, calm and collected, Raissa. That’s how you came across. On a par with the other two smoothies, Tui and Cayatano. I couldn’t help but compare you to Commissioner Henares who came across as sweet but fidgety and nervous. I enjoyed it immensely, all the more because I had watched it unfold. Congratulations.

    • Di umaayon Kay VP panahon, dahil sa ruling ng SC sa pag-gamit ng photos galing sa mga social networking site, nagagamit mga photos nila. Madami silang kailangan i-delete. May officemate ako dati na relative ni VP, sa Hacienda Binay sila nagre-reunion. Nasa FB din niya mga kuhang litrato sa Hacienda kasama si VP, at ayon sa kanya, pag-aari talaga ito ni VP.

      • tumpak …. di nga nagsinungaling ang bunsong anak .. kanila nga e. Yaan natin, sa mga Obispo magpapaliwanag si VP Binay … patas daw kasi ang mga ito sa pagdinig sa kanya …

        • binay probably paid pabillo to be given access to pope francis on his coming visit. be blessed by pope francis the act caught on national t.v. binay will most probably ask to be at the side of the pope during his walkabout, be seen talking with the pope, embracing him. on papal mass, it will be binay who will carry the bread and wine. he might even be sacristan on the day.

        • anong patas? mitshubishops are still at it and still selling favors, again. god knows how much binay will be paying the bishops to be allowed to have personal audience with pope, be seen together with pope francis and garner himself millions of catholic votes.

        • @moonie,
          noong bata pa ako, naglalaro kami ng teks.
          taob-tihaya. 3 cards. pinipitik paitaas.
          panalo ka kung ang card mong pamato ay nakatihaya vs sa 2 na nakataob(kalaban).
          or sa iyo ang nakataob vs. 2 na nakatihaya.
          sa bayaran, di na binibilang ang cards.
          bultuhan na lang at ang basehan ng tamang dami ay ang taas ng cards.
          ang tawag doon ay patas.
          or pantayan.
          pag maramihan ay patas-patas.

  12. ang labo ng istorya ni tiu

    sino naman tao ang papayag na magbenta ng lupa na nagkakahalagang 400+m tapos papayag na 11m lng ang i downpayment ,kung ang lupang ito ay may kakayahang kumita ng halagang 20-30m kada taon.

  13. Can’t help wondering about the silence of Kris who has probably been a multiple visitor to the Hacienda, as no doubt Vilma.has also.

    Then you could assume that Ballsy and her husband have been especially as these personalities were Binay supporters and LP members. How about these and many others following the straight path and offering their eyewitness knowledge and accounts. Just think of all the others.

    Only person who probably hasn’t been is Mar + Korina of course

    • Yes, most probably the Aquino sisters and their families have been invited to the hacienda. Is loyalty to their friend VP Binay more important for them than their concern for the country?.

      • I could say the same to the governor of batanggas who has lived in batanggas for yonks. things are happening right under her nose! yet she and her husband are both very quiet on the issue.

    • Yes! It’s been amusing how co-high profile politico Gov Vi hasn’t uttered anything. If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all? Why not subpoena one of the farmhands and see the truth come out…

      Raissa, saw your appearance on tv. This probe has been a circus– really appreciative of your ending statement to put things in perspective by reminding everyone this is a legislative concern wrt need for anti-dummy and FOI bills.

  15. Masterful, Raissa. Slick, charming, straightforward. What I particularly liked were the two “aid of legislation” suggestions which, on one hand, validated that the Subcommittee’s work is indeed well-grounded in purpose, and on the other hand, set two very important challenges to the senators right smack in their eyeballs. And I’d guess your remarks also spoke to the President and his staff, who were most certainly watching. We know from your earlier reports that the Administration respects the views of the internet community, and your work is right up there in front, no doubt. Very nice work. You sure you don’t want to run for office?