Cayetano dares VP Binay: Answer allegations of former Makati vice mayor

Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter "Companero" Cayetano on Tuesday dared Vice President Jejomar Binay to disprove the allegations of his former ally that he pocketed kickbacks from the construction of the controversial Makati parking building during his term as city mayor.

" We want to give the Vice President all the opportunity to answer. We should give the Vice President an open invitation...Let me assure you, as far as I am concerned, that we will give all the courtesy and all the time to the Vice President," he said.

Appearing before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado admitted that he got kickbacks from the project and that it was "impossible" that Binay did not get a bigger share.

"Sabi mo (Vice Mayor Mercado) magiging ipokrito ka kung sinabi mong hindi ka nakinabang. By nakinabang, meaning kumita dito sa building na ito. Ngayon, kay Vice President o kay dating mayor Binay, kumita din po siya? So, you know it as a fact. Yan ba ay one time lang, sa bidding lang na ito, o sistema na ba yan sa Makati na meron kang kaunti, meron din si VP?" Cayetano asked Mercado.

Mercado said it was part of the system or "kalakaran" for the top city officials to benefit from such projects.

Cayetano argued that the P2.7-billion parking building is clearly overpriced based on the "anti-lokohan book" used in the private sector.

Citing the Davis Langdon & Seah (DLS) handbook used primarily by quantity surveyors, Cayetano said that in the year 2012, the construction of car parks ranged from P17,000 to P20,000 per square meter; standard offices, P31,000 to P39,000, prestige or high-rise offices, P43,000 to P49,000, and general hospitals, P49,000 to P59,000.

In the plunder charges filed against the Vice President and his son, incumbent Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, the complainant claimed that the pricey building had an average cost of P84,000 per square meter.

Cayetano also showed photos of the Makati building's ceiling, parking lot, toilet, and mirrors disproving the claim of city government officials that the parking building is "world-class."

"Wala po kayong kisame o ceiling, nakalabas lahat ng mga tubo, nakalabas ang mga electrical. In other words, ordinary, hindi world class. Tama po ba? Huwag natin lokohin ang mga tao, hindi dapat naka-expose. Ang world-class parking po, napakadilim siguro para hindi natetempt ang magnanakaw or whatever," the senator told former city administrator Marjorie de Veyra.

Mayor Binay's claim that the carpark is a green building is likely a "world-class palusot" because as it turns out, the structure lacked the features of what constitutes a green building.

"Sabi niyo mahal dahil sa tatlong dahilan: dahil green, dahil world class, at dahil sa pundasyon. Doon sa green, is it a certified green building? No. Kaya nga meron tayong certification process para may magsasabi at nagse-certify na green nga. Ano po ang qualification ng green building? Sa media, ang sinabi ni mayor pati ni VP, dekalidad kasi world class at green," Cayetano said.

"Pagdating dito, nakaharap na kami at nagtatanong na, sabi nila, 'our version of green.' But your version of green is not certified. Bottom line, hindi certified green building ang car park," he concluded.