WHERE ARE THEY NOW? : Eduviges ‘Ebeng’ Baloloy and Gerry Limlingan Pimentel tells Makati mayor: Show remorse, no contempt threat The head of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee digging up dirt against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family had dangled the withdrawal of his recommendation to cite Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay and six other city government officials in contempt on two conditions: if they show up at the Senate inquiry set today and “show remorse.” The Makati mayor faces Senate sanctions ranging from being reprimanded to being ordered detained or arrested as a result of contempt charges. ”If they’ll make commitment that they will appear in future hearings, I will move for the withdrawal of my recommendation to cite them in contempt,” Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said. Pimentel’s subcommittee which was reduced to him and Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes III as members is probing the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2. Pimentel said the possibility of the blue ribbon sub-committee handling the issues concerning the mayor and his father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, withdrawing the recommendations is likely to happen if the individuals concerned will “show respect and remorse” to senators. Mayor Binay and six others are being called by Pimentel to be cited by the blue ribbon committee to be in contempt after snubbng several times their proceedings despite the issuance of subpoenas. “The power to cite persons in contempt is sparingly used. It is easy to cite them for contempt and withdraw it as as you show respect and remorse or repentance. Even courts do this ” Pimentel said. “We do not want to cite people in contempt. We do not want to detain people but when we are forced to do so, we will, we have to. Otherwise, it’s the power of the entire Senate to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation which is at stake, not only of the Senate but the future Senate,” he added. The contempt charges are still subject for approval by the mother committee headed by Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona and his members on Monday, Jan. 26. “I don’t know if they’re attending but but if they voluntarily appear, I will move for the withdrawal of my recommendation to cite them in contempt,” Pimentel said. A week ago, Pimentel submitted to Guingona, chairman of the blue ribbon mother committee, a referral to cite Binay in contempt for continued refusal to attend the Senate hearings. Others recommended for contempt included Prof. Tomas Lopez, Jr., Eduviges ‘Ebeng’ Baloloy, Majority de Veyra, Atty. Eleno Mendoza, Engr. Line dela Pena and Bernadette Portollano. ”If he (Pimentel) will say that there will be no more contemptuous act, then we will let it go,” Guingona said in a separate media interview. tribune.net.ph/headlines/pimentel-tells-makati-mayor-show-remorse-no-contempt-threat
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 19:49:27 +0000