Kid Peña denies forming ‘evidence recovery’ team in city hall vs. Binays

Acting Makati Mayor Romulo "Kid" Peña Jr. on Wednesday denied that he formed a team composed of former city officials, whose task is to gather at the Makati City Hall evidence of corruption against the Binay family.

In a television interview,  Peña said his office will only comply with document requests from investigating bodies, such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit (COA).

"May sarili kaming nag-iimbestiga. Pero wala kaming team lalo na headed by Hechanova and Bondal. Hindi po. Wala po. Kuryente po 'yan," Peña said referring to former city officials-turned-whistleblowers on the corrupt acts allegedly committed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family.

Engr. Mario Hechanova is the former head of the Makati general services department and vice chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee, while lawyer Renato Bondal is a former barangay chairman in the city.

Both Hechanova and Bondal have testified as witnesses against Binay in the ongoing investigation of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee.

Reacting to Peña's statement, a spokesperson for Vice President Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, said the acting city mayor is "totally clueless."

"Bondal has gone on record that Peña is aware of the creation of the said team. So either one of them is not telling the truth, or Pena is totally clueless," spokesperson Joey Salgado said in a text message. 

"This bolsters the observation that Peña is a mere front and that ex-Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and Hechanova are calling the shots at the City Hall, which means happy days are back for the ones who admitted to corruption and bid-rigging during their stint at City Hall," he added.

Mercado, who used to be a close ally of the Vice President, admitted before the Senate subcommittee that he earned kickbacks from bogus projects implemented by the city government of Makati during the term of then mayor and now Vice President Binay.

Peña said that as far as he is concerned, his team, headed by lawyer Dave Galang, are only checking questionable contracts entered into by the city government under Junjun Binay as well as the alleged ghost employees receiving pay from the city hall.

"Iniinventory nila lahat sa ghost employees. May nakikita na kaming di nagrereport eh. Uulitin ko, walang tatanggalin sa casual employees. For as long as nagtatrabaho at laging pumapasok, walang tatanggalin," he said.

In Tuesday's hearing of the Blue Ribbon subcommittee, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he will reveal evidence to prove that Makati City has ghost employees. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/NB, GMA News