Makati Mayor and United Opposition president Jejomar C. Binay today said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should instead investigate Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, after the latter admitted receiving advance intelligence reports about the walkout at the Makati court and the takeover of Manila Peninsula by the group led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes and Gen. Danilo Lim.

Despite the advance information, Esperon did not act on the report by increasing security for the Magdalo hearing, nor did he share it with the Philippine National Police and the Makati City government officials.

This inaction, Binay said, raises very serious suspicions about the agenda of the AFP chief. “What was his reason for not sharing the information? If he had done so, then all this could have been prevented,” he added.

The Makati Mayor also said he knew as early as Sunday morning of Justice Sec. Raul Gonzales’ plan to order the NBI to investigate his alleged link to the Manila Pen incident, and thus lay the groundwork for his suspension.

“Malacañang obviously has unfinished business with the opposition, especially with me. They now see an opportunity and are determined to resume their harassment tactics,” he said.

The NBI, according to him, was ordered to look into his alleged complicity in the incident, and also to focus initially on alleged lapses in security at the Makati City Hall. He explained that as for the alleged security lapses at city Hall, this was the responsibility of the military, and that if there was anyone who needed to give an explanation, it is the AFP chief himself.

As for his alleged involvement, Binay said he never denied that there were people in his security detail who were at the Manila Peninsula. He stressed, however, that their presence there was without his approval or knowledge.

“Malacañang is determined to crush the legal opposition, even if it means twisting the truth in order to arrive at a justifiable, but far from factual, ground for my suspension, and similar punitive measures against opposition leaders,” Binay said.