VP Binay edges himself closer to the witness stand

One should be careful what he wishes  for—he  might just get it! The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay seems ecstatic that a Makati Regional Trial Court has given due course to his civil complaint for some P200  million plus in moral and exemplary damages against Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales,  and the Inquirer for allegedly acting in concert to “malign his character and destroy his chances of becoming president” (“Court gives go signal to Binay damage suit,” News, 1/15/16).

As far as we see it, this should be welcome news to  Cayetano and Trillanes, who have been desperately trying to get Binay on the witness stand to personally answer charges of corruption and plunder. Up to this time, all they got to hear were spokespersons who ran circles around them, mouthing the mantra that their boss would only testify in a court of law, and not in the Senate kangaroo court!

We are one of those who believe the filing of that civil case was nothing more than a publicity stunt. It was just a diversionary counterattack. We cannot imagine Binay really serious about  taking the witness stand as plaintiff in that case and exposing himself to cross-examination by the likes of Cayetano, Trillanes and Morales. With that waiver of immunity and entitlement to any “interdepartmental courtesy,” he is a sitting duck in the face of overwhelming documentary evidence of his misdeeds already gathered during the Senate hearings and after the takeover of the Makati City Hall by a new mayor!

Cayetano and Trillanes should play their cards well. As the case is now set for “judicial dispute resolution” (where Binay may again just send more of his mouthpieces armed with special power of attorney to dish out more nonsense), they can short-circuit the useless ritual  by insisting on an early trial on the ground that there should be nothing further to talk about with a view to a compromise when it comes to charges of corruption and plunder! These accusations go to the very heart of  Binay’s allegations of good reputation and character. The sooner they get him cornered and nailed in that witness box, the better!  And if the presiding judge of that Makati court is true to his oath as a neutral and impartial magistrate, that should be no problem.

—GEORGE DEL MAR, [email protected]