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

  1. “Alam mo ba nakakalungkot ako’y sinisiraan, pati ba naman yung anak ko na bunso isinasama pa sa kinukutya at hinahamak? Bahala na Diyos sa kanila,” Binay said. ……. A FACT OR A LIE?

  2. Just to add what I forgot in what I sent few minutes ago, when Atty. Subido was asked, he flatly denied that Geronimo or Tiu? is VP’s dummy. That is an acknowledgment that he has personal knowledge. That he knows a lot to be able to give such a very categorical answer. Sen. Cayetano should question him leading to the straight and narrow.

  3. Even ordinary inexperienced lawyer, much more one worth his salt, will in no chance prepare for his client a contract not enforceable against a third party. In fact, notarization is not a tall task. It however becomes tall, almost impossible, to have it ante or back dated three years from the actual date of its preparation. That explains why the MOA between Sunchamp and Gregorio covering Rosario properties is not notarized. It is an afterthought and was just prepared lately.

    Considering the hugeness of the subject and amount involved, no corporation will enter into a one-page ambiguous MOA. It is opaque simply because it was so designed. Its present form gives Sunchamp wide room in interpreting it in a manner which befits the dispositions it already made. Likewise, it gives Sunchamp flexibility in planning and making future dispositions. A detailed one will be certainly to Sunchamp’s disadvantage.

    Atty. Subido cannot appropriately argue with Sen. Cayetano that the properties cannot be transferred to another person, despite the MOA not being notarized and registered with RD, because Sunchamp has active possession of property. Not only lying, his argument is misplaced. He affirmed that the MOA was executed in 2011 and Sunchamp took possession of the properties only in 2014. How could something not yet existing be made a justification in not notarizing the contract. To add, a buyer in good faith and for a consideration is not required to go beyond the four corners of the TCT. He will qualify as such as long as the TCT is clean or without any annotation. Sen. Cayetano must revisit this on the next hearing.

    It is an inherent obligation of the seller to protect the buyer and defend the title to the property when the need arises. The continuous refusal of Gregorio to appear before the Senate hearing unmistakably constitutes breach of that obligation to Tiu. Is Tiu not doing anything to enforce his right that Gregorio appear, defend the title and protect him as a buyer? Will he still proceed with the sale despite Tiu’s breach? The situation raises many more questions which Tiu must be made to confront and resolve.

    Inquirer’s front page photo of VP in the cock’s farm was taken from Grace Martinez’s FB files. Thus, she must be the lady in the picture accompanying VP as officer of Sunchamp. The picture, therefore, proves that Subido and Tiu are spinning a yarn in claiming that the cocks are owned by the caretakers.

    The solid link of loyalty and subservience of Tiu to VP is apparent. While Tiu admits he has totally no personal knowledge if Gregorio is VP’s dummy, he cannot even affirm that is possible. Tiu has just shown his resolve to defy, for VP, logic or common sense before the whole world. To make the world laugh, I believe he must be asked “if it is possible that the three senators are politically motivated?” He will surely say “Yes” rendering his link most obvious.