Binay: PDAF would have been helpful

CEBU, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday expressed dismay over the cancellation of his discretionary fund, saying he could have used the money to help improve the country’s health care system.

“Nakakalungkot lang kasi natamaan ako ng PDAF. Nagdo-donate po ako sa mga regional hospitals, provincial hospitals. Eh, inabot po ng PDAF (scam controversy) yung pundo ko,” Binay said in a speech.

He visited Cebu yesterday to turn over hospital beds.

The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the controversial discretionary funds of lawmakers and top government officials, has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court recently. High placed government officials have also figured in what is alleged to be anomalous disbursement of the funds after investigations find bogus non-government organizations have benefitted from the funds.

Binay, a strong contender in the 2016 presidential polls, came to Cebu with daughter, Senator Nancy Binay. The two attended the formal turnover of the donation at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center audio visual room.

Receiving the 20 pediatric hospital beds on behalf of chief of hospital Dr. Gerardo Aquino was CSEE medical center chief  Dr. Antonio Roque Paradela.

Binay’s speech stressed that his discretionary fund was different from PDAF.

He said he has been active in helping out government hospitals even before joining national politics. He was a long-time mayor of Makati City.

“Hindi ho bago sa akin ang buhay ospital,” Binay said, adding he has made it a routine at the start of the year to visit the Philippine General Hospital, also run by the Department of Health (DOH) just like VSMMC.

He also said that the current mayor of Makati, his son Junjun Binay, is also prioritizing public health care system with an upcoming additional hospital in the city apart from the Ospital Ng Makati. –/JMO (FREEMAN)