Senate hearing on 'overpriced' Makati parking building continues

MANILA, Philippines –In the continuation of the hearing on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall building II, Senate blue ribbon committee invited VP Binay to give his statement on the accusations and inquiries being thrown to him. On September 4 hearing, former Makati City bids and awards committee vice chairman Mario Hechanova allegedly stated he was given a P200,000 monthly allowance to choose only companies endorsed by the Binay family for city projects.

Hechanova said that all biddings in Makati city were fixed.

“That’s the usual practice in Makati. That’s what we do,” Hechanova said.

The investigation is based on a plunder case filed against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay. However, Binay dismissed the allegations as a demolition job and continue not to attend the proceedings of the hearing.

In a radio interview, Binay’s spokesman Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla claimed the building is not overpriced, and there were no fixed biddings.

Remulla reiterated claims by building contractor Hilmarc’s Construction Company that based on cost per square meter, the building cost is comparable to other government projects.

Meanwhile, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. should be placed under a provisional blacklist and for government agencies dealing with Hilmarc’s to withhold their payments to the firm.

“Can you inform or tell Secretary Singson that in the meantime that obviously the engineering practices of Hilmarc’s are highly irregular, can you put them on the provisional blacklist and for the COA, can you instruct the different government agencies dealing with Hilmarc’s to withhold, further payments until we resolve this issue?” the senator told Engineer Edgar Garces, division chief of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) Bureau of Construction

A Hilmarc’s executive denied that Vice President had earned from the construction of the building when he was still Makati mayor, a claim belied by former Makati City employees who testified at the Senate hearing.

“Alam 'nyo po, napakahirap ng Senate Blue Ribbon committee. Hindi ho natatakot si Vice President diyan. Pero saan ho kayo makakita na ang rules of court eh hindi ho nasusundan? Ang rules lang po, rules of ambition,” Remulla said referring to the inconclusive proceedings.