Former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado yesterday bared that Vice President Jejomar Binay allegedly owns several condominium units in Makati City, seemingly attempting to validate long-running legendary stories about the Binays’ notoriety in the financial district.
At the resumption of the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee’s probe into the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2, Mercado, a former ally of the Vice President, disclosed that Binay has at least six other properties whom he said were under the names of his “favorite” dummies.
The six condominium units are:
- Unit 2801 of The Peak Tower Condominium which is under the name of Ariel Olivar, surveyor at the so-called “Hacienda Binay” in Rosario, Batangas.
- Unit 2801 of the Le Triomphe Condo which was under the name of one Celso Santiago whom Mercado said is the uncle of Binay’s wife and former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay.
- Unit 906 of the Makati Sunrise Hotel now Berjaya Hotel which is also listed under Santiago’s name.
- Unit 797 of The Perla Compania De Seguros Mansion Condotel, which is registered under the name of a certain Benjamin Zapanta, who he said is linked with a contractor to various projects in Makati City.
- Unit 2316 of the Prince Plaza Condotel, which was registered under the name of Santos Panlilio, the alleged contractor of the Makati Pabahay Program and other projects.
- Unit 5B of the Avignon Tower that Mercado said is under the name of Panlilio’s wife, Aurora.
According to Mercado, these “dummies” were unwilling participants but were afraid of the Vice President.
Mercado said Binay’s ownership of the units was made possible because initial transactions with the Makati City Engineering Office, which evaluates applications for building permits, is already tainted with corruption.
He also said that based on the system of applying for an occupancy permit in Makati City, a developer has to haggle with the city engineer in order to get adjustments in real property tax.
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