Binay still eyeing prexy seat

CEBU, Philippines - Having ignored a Senate hearing yesterday by coming to Cebu, embattled Vice President Jejomar Binay remained unfazed by all corruption allegations against him and reiterated his intent to run for president in 2016.

“I just want you to know, yung kahipokritohan, hindi ako ‘yon. Eh kayo kasi media tanong ng tanong, eh di inamin ko na magkakandidato ako sa 2016. Nanga-ngarap ho ako maging pangulo nang ating bansa. Yung iba mga ipokrito, naku ayaw, eh kakandidato naman talaga (I am not a hypocrite. Since the media keeps on asking, I will admit it that yes, I am aiming to run for president of the country in 2016.  The others are the hypocrite; they say they would not but are really running for president),” said Binay in an interview over radio station DYHP.

He came to Cebu yesterday to grant the exclusive radio interview, instead of attending a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing.

He said he revealed early that he has set his sights at the presidency because he thought political maturity in the country has already improved.

“Malungkot nga lamang, kasi isang  dahilan kung bakit  nagsasabi agad ako akala ko nagbabago na ang pulitika dito. Eh, pero personalan at pulos kasinungalingan at paghamak pa (I am sad; because one reason I decided to make public my intent to run for president was because I thought our brand of politics has already changed.  It turns out it is still about personal attacks, lies, and put downs),” the vice president said.

He said the “Operation Stop Nognog 2016” was launched by detractors as a smear campaign against him; he pointed Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas as the man behind this.

The term used, he said, is even derogatory and served to poke fun at him.

“Alam mo ba ano ang nognog? Maitim, mahirap, hindi matangkad, kulay mahirap (The term means dark, poor, not tall, the skin color of the impoverished),” he said.

Binay is the chairman of the United Nationalist Alliance while Roxas is the frontliner of the administration’s Liberal Party in the 2016 presidential race.

Binay, though, said that despite all the corruption allegations against him, he and President Benigno Aquino III remains “okay” with each other.

“Okay naman kami. Nagtatawanan pa rin kami (We are still okay; we still laugh together).  I still have a high respect for the president,” Binay said.  

He said, though, that it is still too early to name his running-mate as there are so many “probables,” who include Buhay Partylist Representative Lito Atienza and Valenzuela City first district Representative Sherwin Gatchalian.

“Ang mga pinanggalingan nila (They used to lead) local government units.  Sa akin, walang maunlad na bansa kung hindi maunlad ang (For me, there isno developed country without a developed) local government unit.  Eto may track records, magagaling ang mga ito (these guys are capable); good governance lang yan,” Binay added.

He said he would not be distracted by the smear campaign against him, as doing so would only derail his dream of leading this country and particularly addressing hunger and lack of jobs.

He said that instead of explaining himself at Senate committee hearings, he would rather go to the people to air his side as the allegations raised against him are all due to politics.

In particular, he said there is a possibility that the proceeding at the said hearings may even be used in an impeachment case against him.

“Yung mga paratang nila, may posibilibad na gagamitin sa impeachment proceeding laban sa akin. Bawal naman yon,” Binay said.

He said he was already pre-judged and even called names in statements that nanghahamak (belittle) and nanglalait (ridicule) him.

He said, though, that he sent a formal communication through his representatives that he would not attend the hearing.

He went to Toledo City, Cebu yesterday and dropped by the mining site of Carmen Copper Corporation in Barangay Don Andres Soriano before paying Mayor John Henry Osmeña a visit at the City Hall.

Binay, Osmeña, Gatchalian,  Atienza, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, and former Danao City mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano then held a closed door meeting inside the mayor’s office for half an hour.

Osmeña later said the meeting was just about the housing projects implemented in the city, particularly those in lot 692 in Barangay Magdugo and lot 74 in Barangay Tubod, and possibly another project that would be supported by the National Housing Authority, which the vice president heads.

Osmeña said politics was never discussed during the meeting.

Asked about the Senate hearing he skipped, Binay told radio dyHP said it was just a “useless” endeavor.

“Useless magpunta doon in the sense, una-una prejudged na. May kasalanan ka na agad. May desisyon na yon (They already made a decision). Fair play wala naman doon (does not exist there),” he said.

He especially mentioned Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes to have already drawn conclusions against him.

He said statements issued by the two senators had already gone overboard and were no longer about Trillanes’ resolution that asked that the vice president be investigated over the allegedly overpriced Makati Parking Building.

The controversy is now on Binay’s alleged 350-hectare Batangas property.

He said that what made him so angry was that his daughter has been dragged into the controversy after Cayetano used her social media posts as evidence against him.

After Toledo, Binay and his entourage then went to nearby Pinamungajan town to met local officials led by Mayor Glenn Baricuatro. From there, the vice president went to neighboring Aloguinsan town, where he was received by Mayor Cynthia Moreno and her husband, Vice Mayor Augustus Moreno.

In Aloguinsan, which was the last stop yesterday, the visitors delivered speeches during a short program on a stage set up infront of the public market.

In his speech, Atienza called Binay “president” and the most ready for the 2016 elections.

Today, Binay would meet with Cebu City residents in a community walk around City Hall at 6:30 a.m.   He would then join a “boodle fight” at the Taboan Public Market before gracing a Philippine Scouting Centennial Jamboree at the Capitol Hills. 

He would then proceed to Consolacion town to meet with public market and local officials. Sources say the vice president is staying in Cebu until Saturday. — /RHM  (FREEMAN)