The Punching Bag...Antonio Tiu
Posted on Friday, 31 October 2014
The
Punching Bag
…Antonio
Tiu
By Apolinario Villalobos
For the tenth time, during the
sub-Committee Senate hearing on the case of Binay, conducted on 30 October
2014, the latter’s prime dummy was
practically punched to a pulp. But though, pathetically looking helpless, he
heroically tried to enhance his posture by sporting sheepish smile. He made a
mockery of the hearing by presenting a mere one-page document to show his
ownership of the Binay estate at Rosario, Batangas, and which Trillanes said
was prepared just the night before. His “crucial” evidence, obviously insulted
the intelligence of the committee, as the piece of paper of the dummy seemed to
have made fun of the proceeding.
All the way, throughout the hearing, Tiu
was a picture of haplessness. Out of pity, perhaps, in one instance, Cayetano
tried to give him a hint on how to salvage himself from the humiliating
situation and establish his ignorance of the spurious deals he got involved in
by just declaring that he was not aware if the guy from whom he bought the land
was a dummy of Binay, but he refused to change his stance.
During the past hearings, his image as a
successful businessman was shattered to pieces when Powerpoint presentations
showed the dismal performance of his “corporations” which performed way below
the red line, one showed revenue that a simple market vendor can earn for one
year. Obviously, the capitalization that he has been arrogantly presenting was
going around his “corporations” – a “show money” to entice investors. He was
insisting that it was his own way of investing money which raised the eyebrows
of legitimate businessmen. Due to the
question on his financial standing, he is now being investigated also, where
his show money came from, resulting to the challenge from the committee to open
his bank accounts, as clearly, he is not capable of raising such big amount.
In the presence of heads of agencies, such
as DAR, DENR, BIR, and broadcaster Raizza Robles who presented more telling
evidences, as well as, the ever present former Makati Vice-Mayor Mercado who
brought along additional documented evidences, Tiu went on with his unbelievable
litanies about his grand plan for the Binay estate, such as its conversion into
an agri-tourism complex but proved to be just a whim, shattered by tangible
evidences.
His insistence on being a “clean”
businessman who pays taxes religiously, put him in hot waters, as BIR will,
henceforth, check on his ventures, if indeed, their papers are in order. His
reputation and name have been compromised, but he expertly masked his
apprehensions, still with a “cute” smile, if the word of Trillanes be taken.
A personal observation is that the false
allegations of Tiu, though obviously made up, serve as hints for the Committee
in some of their discreet investigations. The fix where Tiu is in now, has
become very complicated that he might find it difficult to come out of the maze
he, himself created. Just like the rest of the Binay allies, he was perhaps,
hoping that Binay will make it as the President in 2016, hence, his stalwart resolve
to stand by the latter.
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