MANILA – The Department of Justice has approved the filing of libel charges against Sen. Antonio Trillanes over his allegations in 2015 that former Vice President Jejomar Binay, during his mayorship of Makati, had pulled off a P100-million scam padding the city’s roster of senior citizens with ghost beneficiaries.
The charges have been filed with the Makati regional trial court, where it has yet to be raffled off to a particular branch.
On August 19, 2015, Trillanes – who with Sen. alan Peter Cayetano had pushed a Senate inquiry into alleged anomalies by Binay and his son, then-mayor Junjun Binay – said that there were ghost senior citizens in Makati when the elder Binay was mayor.
Trillanes claimed the Binays were pocketing on average P100 million a year from skimming the funds meant for the alleged ghost senior citizens.
Senior assistant state prosecutor Edwin Dayog recommended the filing of charges, and senior deputy state prosecutor Richard Fadullon approved it.
The DOJ resolution said Trillanes’ allegation is malicious and damaged the reputation of VP Binay.
