INFOGRAPHIC: VP Binay’s ties that bank accounts bind, according to AMLC

Amid investigations over alleged corruption, the Court of Appeal last week froze 242 bank accounts and insurance policies under the names of Vice President Jejomar Binay, some members of his family, and close associates suspected of being his dummies.

The 33-page decision from the appellate court's First Division gave weight to the findings of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, which is looking into Binay's financial transactions and those of entities being linked to him and his family.

GMA News obtained a copy of the freeze order from ex-Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, a former ally of the Binays and one of the respondents in the AMLC's probe.

Among others, the AMLC's found that:

- financial transactions "were conducted in cash and in rounded figures";
- most of them "had no underlying legal of trade obligation, purpose or economic justification"
- the amounts "were not commensurate" to financial capacities of individuals concerned, and
- the said transactions were conducted during the construction of the Makati City Hall II Parking Building and the Makati High School Science Building, as well as during the implementation of the joint venture agreement between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Alphaland/Silvertown.

In response, the Vice President said the freeze order created a chilling effect on businesses.

See the breakdown of accounts, as well as corresponding notes, as summarized by GMA News Online:



Readers may also access the full infographic here: http://images.gmanews.tv/downloads/150515-BinayFrozenAccounts/index.png

NOTES:

JEJOMAR C. BINAY
Vice President of the Philippines
former Makati City mayor
19 accounts

* He is said to have 12 of the accounts solely under his name.

GERARDO S. LIMLINGAN JR.**
VP Binay's financial officer
vice president, Agrifortuna
director, Meriras Realty and Development Corporation
124 accounts

* Out of the accounts, 20 are solely under his name.
* He holds two joint accounts with VP Binay. "Considerable amounts of US dollars" were transferred either in them or in Limlingan's individual accounts, from 2008 to 2014.
* He also has 12 joint accounts with VP Binay's longtime secretary Eduviges Baloloy.
* The rest of those under Limlingan's name are joint accounts he holds with the following people:

    BERNADETTE C. PORTOLLANO
    corporate secretary, OMNI Security Investigation, Inc.
        38 accounts

    MARGUERITE LICHNOCK
        Limlingan's wife
    * chairman/president, OMNI
    * director, Meriras Realty and Development Corp.
        six accounts

    LILY HERNANDEZ CRYSTAL
    * administrator, Agrifortuna
        16 accounts
        two accounts with EDUVIGES BALOLOY
    
    MITZI O. SEDILLO
    * assistant treasurer, Agrifortuna
        17 accounts

    MARIO A. ORETA
    * chairman (2010)/vice chairman and president (2014), Silvertown Property Development Corporation
    * incorporator, Noble Care Management Corporation
        11 accounts

    DANIEL C. SUBIDO
        five  accounts

    MELISSA GAY C. LIMLINGAN
        five  accounts

    GERARDO MARTIN C. LIMLINGAN
        six accounts

    VICTOR S. LIMLINGAN
        two accounts

    JOSE ORILLAZA
        two accounts

    PATRICIA GRACE LIMLINGAN PADUA
        one account


EDUVIGES D. BALOLOY**
VP Binay's long-time secretary
55 accounts

* There are 28 accounts solely under her name.
* She also holds 12 joint accounts with Limlingan, and a few others with:

    MELISSA CASTANEDA LIMLINGAN
         one account

    CARMELITA PALO GALVAN
        three accounts

    FRANCISCO BALAGUER BALOLOY
        one account

    LILY HERNANDEZ CRYSTAL
        two accounts


** Notes on LIMLINGAN and BALOLOY:
-- "Limlingan received an income of P30,000 in 2011 and 2012. Baloloy's source of income is her employment with the City Government of Makati. [But from] 2007 to 2014, cash deposit transactions majority of which were in millions of pesos, were applied to the individual and joint accounts maintained by Limlingan and Baloloy."
-- "Other large transactions" Limlingan and Baloloy allegedly conducted "involved funds that apparently have been placed in investment management fund accounts."
-- "started selling securities, conducted inter-account transfers within the same bank, preterminated time deposits and investment placements, encashed checks and withdrew bank deposits" after Senate began its hearings on the New Makati City Hall Parking Building in August 2014.
-- "Other large transactions" were also made from 2007 to 2014 in joint accounts Limlingan and Baloloy maintain with other individuals allegedly involved with VP Binay.


JEJOMAR EDWIN BINAY JR.
VP Binay's son
incumbent mayor of Makati City
six accounts

* All accounts are solely under his name.
* director, Hermitage & Manor Realty and Management Corp.
* director, Millennium Food Chains Corp.

ELENITA BINAY
VP Binay's wife
former Makati City mayor

* She has five joint accounts with VP Binay.


ANTONIO TIU
VP Binay's "close friend"
12 accounts

* Five of the accounts are solely under his name.
* He also holds joint accounts with:

    JAMES LEE TIU
    Antonio's brother
        four accounts

    ANN LORAINE BUENCAMINO TIU
    James' wife
        two accounts

    PEI FENG LEE
        six accounts

* Despite "supposed business losses" in 2012 and a "comparatively small net profit" in 2013, the accounts under his name "showed multiple large transactions."

* Bank accounts revealed "multiple transactions involving receipt of inward remittances, inter-branch fund transfers, cash withdrawals and cash deposits" between the following companies and Subido Pagente Certeza Mendoza and Binay (SPCMB) Law Office and Tiu from June 30 to July 2, 2014 alone. The said companies are owned by Tiu.

  EARTHRIGHT HOLDINGS, INC.
     two accounts

  SUNCHAMP REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT CORP.
     two accounts

  GREENERGY HOLDINGS INCORPORATED
     two accounts

ERNESTO MERCADO
former Makati City vice mayor
19 accounts

* The only joint account under his name is with:
     APRIL JOY P. MERCADO

* "Considerable amounts of money" were deposited to his accounts from 2007 to 2014.
* He invested in a life insurance policy, made a credit purchase, and bought foreign currency.
* The amount of money involved in the said transactions "were not commensurate" to the income and net worth he declared in his SALNs.

Other bank account names found in the freeze order are:

   OMNI SECURITY INVESTIGATION, INC.
      one account (beneficiary)

   FREDERICK D. BALOLOY
   JENNIFER V. BALOLOY
      one account (joint)

   MAN BUN CHONG
   ERLINDA S. CHONG**
      one account (joint)

** She was linked to the birthday cakes supplied by Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay to the senior citizens of Makati City.
   director, Meriras Realty and Development Corporation
   chairman/president, Millenium Food Chains Corp.

   MILLENNIUM FOOD CHAINS
* "a business entity of the Chong family, with three children of VP Binay as directors"
      one account
—NB, GMA News

SOURCE: Anti-Money Laundering Council findings, as shown in Court of Appeals freeze order