'Guilty' Binay wants COA to delay release of city hall project audit report — Roxas spox

Published March 6, 2016 4:46pm

By XIANNE ANGELES, GMA News

HE SAID, THEY SAID - Vice President Jejomar Binay (right) in a word war against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales (top left) and Daang Matuwid spokesman Ibarra Gutierrez (below left)

Vice President Jejomar Binay's supposed appeal for a Commission on Audit (COA) official to delay the release of a special audit report on the Makati City Hall Building 2 until after the May 9 elections only proves he is guilty of receiving kickbacks from its allegedly overpriced construction, the camp of administration-backed Liberal Party standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said Sunday.

In a statement, Daang Matuwid coalition spokesperson and Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez scoffed at Binay's supposed ploy to block the release of the special audit report.

He accused the Vice President of trying to delay the document's transmittal to the Office of the Ombudsman because he knew he would be implicated in the anomaly.

“Masyado namang halata ang pagka-guilty ni VP Binay. Nabalitaan lang na itra-transmit na ng COA papuntang Ombudsman ang findings nito hinggil sa maanomalyang Makati Parking Building, eh todo harang na ang ginagawa nila,” the lawmaker said.

Earlier in the day, the Office of the Ombudsman denied the United Nationalist Alliance's claim that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales called up a COA official to convince them to transmit to her office an “incomplete” special audit report on the controversial construction project.

It said it was COA which informed their office that the special audit report on the so-called Makati parking building was ready for transmittal.

Citing a “very reliable source,” the Ombudsman also said that Binay “pleaded with a COA official not to release the report until after the elections.”

Morales' office said it has yet to receive the COA special audit report even though the agency originally promised to transmit it last January.

Gutierrez said that if Binay were innocent, he would have nothing to fear about the special audit report's release.

“Kung malinis ang konsensiya niya, kahit ilang patong pa na COA report ang ilabas tungkol sa kanya, hindi man lang siya makakaramdam ng kaba. Dahil kung hindi sana siya nagnakaw, wala sana siyang kinatatakutang sariling multo ngayon,” he said. — APG, GMA News

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