MANILA - Aside from his property in Batangas, Vice President Jejomar Binay also bought seaside property in Dingalan, Aurora when he was still mayor of Makati, his former ally said Friday.
Speaking to Radio DZMM, former Makati vice-mayor Ernesto Mercado said he was instructed by Binay to purchase 7 hectares of land in Barangay Matawi in 1998-1999 after learning that there would be a port there.
He said Binay used to raise chickens there but stopped because the area was not ideal for that type of business.
"Ang manok hindi pwede sa tabi ng dagat," he said.
Mercado earlier told the Senate that Binay used to raise fighting cocks.
Binay also told journalist Raissa Robles in a 2010 interview that he used to raise chickens with breeds coming from Australia and the United States.
In a separate interview with ABS-CBNnews.com, Mercado said he and Binay bought the property for P800,000 per hectare or over P5 million.
"Wala pang titulo nuon, kami pa ang nagpatitulo noon. Nakapangalan sa mga taong naglakad," he said.
"Ang sabi niya: 'Pare, bili tayo para pang retirement.'"
Mercado said the titles for the property remained in his possession until he had a falling-out with the Binays before the 2010 elections.
Mercado ran for mayor of Makati against Binay's son in 2010 and lost.
After the election, he said Binay's daughter, Abigail, asked for the titles of the property in Dingalan.
He said he gave up the four titles to Binay's daughter to see if the vice president would honor his word that they would split ownership of the land.
"Para matesting kung parehas siya ng pakikituring sa akin, pinadala ko lahat ng titulo kahit ang usapan ay hati kami. Pero hindi na ako kumib, wala namang binalik sa akin. Hanggang nayong nasa kanila pa rin yung apat na titulo duon," he said.
He said he also received word that Binay's lawyer, Martin Subido, had visited Dingalan this year in an effort to transfer the titles.
"Hindi kasi nakapangalan sa kanila yung lupa pero sa mga taong nandun sa Dingalan. Hindi nila alam kung paano papipirmahin," he said.
Mercado said he is willing to divulge everything he knows about the Dingalan property if it is raised at the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee hearing.
The former vice-mayor earlier accused Binay of pocketing millions of pesos in kickbacks for various infrastructure projects in Makati including the P2.2 billion Makati City Hall Building II.
NO HOSPITALIZATION
In his radio DZMM interview, Mercado again denied the claims of Binay's spokesmen that he was confined at the University of the East Ramon Magsaysay (UERM) Memorial Medical Center on Aurora Boulevard in Quezon City earlier this month.
The former vice-mayor said he has never been confined at the UERM and that he does not have a heart ailment.
"Sa harap nang buong media, payag akong magpa examine para malaman natin kung ako'y may sakit sa puso," he said.
Mercado said he stands by his earlier challenge that he would ask the Senate to strike out his testimony from the record if the Binay camp could show proof that he is lying about his hospitalization.
Binay spokesmen earlier said a certain Ernesto Mercado was confined at UERM last October 1 and October 4 based on medical records they obtained. They also claimed that Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas visited Mercado on those dates.
Mercado, however, said the Binay camp could simply ask for the CCTV footage at UERM during those dates to show if he was indeed confined there.
"Pag nagsisinungaling, madaling sabihin ang pangalang Ernesto Mercado. Patunayan muna nila na ako yung Ernesto Mercado na sinasabi nila," he said.
The former vice-mayor said he has always gone to Makati Medical Center to get blood work done.
He also said he is willing to be cross-examined by Binay if the vice-president decides to accept the invitation and attend the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon mother committee.
"Ako ay nakahandang mag face-to-face kay VP Binay. Hindi ko lang alam kung may question and answer. Payag din akong ma cross-examine sa lahat ng aking sinabi kung kailangan," he said. © Provided By David Dizon, ABS-CBNnews.com
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