Former Vice mayor of Makati Ernesto Mercado making a statement in the senate against VP Jejomar Binay on the alleged corruption in the construction of the Makati city hall parking building. CATHY MIRANDA/黑料社
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� A former vice mayor of Makati City told a Senate hearing on Tuesday that Vice President听Jejomar听Binay听should be blamed if something听bad happens to him.
With Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter听Cayetano鈥檚听prodding, former Makati Vice Mayor听Ernesto Mercado听read before the Senate听blue ribbon committee听a letter he wrote听for his family听in November, 2012.
鈥淪a听aking听pamilya听at听sa听kinauukulan,听nitong听mga听nakaraang听araw听ay听napapansin ko听na听may听sumusunod-sunod听sa听aking听mga听lakad. Kung sakali po听na may mangyayari sa akin ng听masama,听wala听po听kayong听uusiging听iba, wala听pong听gagawa听sa听akin ng masama kundi ang听pamilya听Binay听lamang,鈥� Mercado听said.
(To my family and the authorities, these past few days, I have noticed that there have been people following me. Should anything bad happen to me, go after the听Binays听because they are the only ones who want to harm me.)
Mercado said he was keeping the letter in his wallet but听he also made two copies for his wife and child.
At first, the former vice mayor merely implied his life was in danger when he听mentioned during the first part of the hearing听that he noticed some people following him. This prompted听Senator听Antonio听Trillanes听IV to move that听Mercado be put听under the government鈥檚 witness protection program but the latter was hesitant.
When it was time听to question the听resource person,听Cayetano听again brought up the threat to听Mercado鈥檚听life and听prodded him to read the letter听that听he was carrying in his wallet.
鈥淜ung听pwede听po听basahin听n鈥檡o听na听sa听amin听para听malaman听ko听lang听nandyan鈥︹�滳ayetano听said. 鈥淧ara听malaman听ng听publiko听na听hindi听kayo nag-iimbento,听na听talagang听meron听kayo听d鈥檡an听sa听pitaka听nyo鈥︹��
(Can you read the letter so that the people will know that you are not fabricating it and that you really have it in your wallet?)
鈥淣apakabigat听po听sanang听basahin听po听ito听pero听komo听hinihingi听ng听pagkakataon听malungkot听man听ako,听babasahin听ko,鈥� Mercado said.
(It鈥檚 harrowing for me read this, but since you asked it, I will read it.)
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