Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Vice President Jejomar Binay听on Friday听filed another libel suit against his chief accuser former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, the third criminal complaint he had lodged over the latter鈥檚 series of supposed expose.
The nine-page complaint filed at the Makati Prosecutor鈥檚 Office听on Friday听sought to prove that Mercado was 鈥渓ying when he maliciously, falsely and feloniously accused the Vice President of extorting condo units from developers amounting to 60-70 percent of all the condo buildings in Makati,鈥� Binay鈥檚 legal counsel Claro Certeza said in a statement.
鈥淭his claim has been publicly belied by the developers themselves. It only shows that Mercado is a pathological liar and has zero credibility,鈥� he said.
SM Development Corp., Megaworld Corp., Robinsons Land Corp., Rockwell Land Corp., and Eton Properties released separate statements denying they gave condo units to Binay or his family.
The former vice mayor during a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearing in November 2014 told senators that Binay owns various condominium units under the name of individuals whom he had used as dummies.
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READ: Binay camp: Mercado 鈥榬eal owner鈥� of condominium unit
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In the Vice President鈥檚 complaint-affidavit, he claimed that Ariel Olivar鈥攚hom Mercado accused of being Binay鈥檚 dummy for his alleged unit in The Peak Tower鈥攁dmitted that he received his instructions from Mercado himself.
Olivar, an engineer, said during a Senate hearing on听January 22听that he was asked by Mercado to use his name as the owner of a 150-square meter unit in The Peak condominium in Makati allegedly owned by Binay.
He admitted that he never met Binay and it was Mercado who gave him the instruction.
鈥淭he series of libel complaints filed by the Vice President shows his commitment to answer and refute the accusations against him in the proper forum in accordance with the rule of law,鈥� Certeza said.
READ: DOJ to probe Mercado partner鈥檚 death if asked by victim鈥檚 family
The Binay鈥檚 camp said the unit under Olivar鈥檚 name is the same as the unit where Mercado鈥檚 former live-in partner, Racquel Ambrosio, was found dead in 2002. Ni帽a P. Calleja/RAM