Who's behind Binay's calvary?
The dogged determination of the Senate subcommittee looking into the alleged anomalies committed by Vice President Jejomar Binay as former mayor of Makati City is a strong indication that something more than in-aid of legislation is behind it all. After spending hundreds of hours listening to anti-Binay accusations, and spending too millions of pesos of the people's money, the committee has now in its possession more than enough evidence to charge the Vice President of plunder at the office of the Ombudsman. Also by this time they must have already hatched the remedial legislation growing out of the investigation.
But they have not done these. Instead, they are pursuing their game plan with more vigor and enthusiasm even going to the extent of citing in contempt Erwin Binay and others, the incumbent Makati mayor, for refusing to attend the hearing.
Demolition job is clearly what the triumvirate senators--Pimentel, Cayetano, and Trillanes-are doing. Who is behind this legislative head-bashing? Cayetano? A year or two ago there were talks that he was eyeing the presidential candidacy. But lately it's all quiet in the western front. Some say that the Binay-Cayetano feud is some kind of war between two cities, Makati and Taguig. Or between two families?
Is Mar Roxas behind the stop "Nognog" affair? Like Binay he has set his sight on the presidency. But Binay is riding high on surveys, much higher than he in fact even after the exposes on the alleged anomalies. Of course, Roxas denies any role in the Senate lynching of the Vice President. Such reaction however is expected because if it can be shown that he is part of the entire process his acceptance rating is certain to fall still lower.
What about Trillanes and Pimentel, what's their beef against the targeted victim of the hearing? The former navy officer has at one time leaked out his desire to run for vice president. Perhaps on account of this he is angling for image building as he acts out his role in the Senate tele-novela on Binay. Image building is crucial to Trillanes because right now he has nothing to show by way of accomplishment as a former military man or as a legislator. Image building also could be behind Pimentel's role. Or is he just following an order from "above"?
President Aquino too is suspected to be behind the curtain of it all. And why not? With his observed tendency to nose-lead lawmakers (Remember the Corona impeachment?) some quarters are of the idea that Binay's calvary has its root in the Pasig office. Sometime ago the media reported that the former Makati mayor tried to influence the President into influencing the senators to go easy on him. Yet considering that it has been all systems go the president's response must have been unfavorable. For his part, Binay has said that he and PNoy have remained friends, but many believe the Vice President was saying this with a grain of salt.
Utang-na-loob is a value which strongly defines a Filipino's behavior, and PNoy is a Filipino through and through so he cannot escape the tight-hold of this value on his person. But who in the Liberal party can claim utang-na-loob from the President? Who else but Mar Roxas? When he gave up his presidential ambition in favor of Noynoy in 2010 he made himself a sacrificial lamb to the political ambition of Cory's son. In return PNoy must have promised Roxas to back him up as a presidential timber in 2016.
Binay may be close to PNoy's mother but not necessarily to the latter. The fact that the former has not shifted allegiance to the ruling party, if only to prove his loyalty to PNoy's group, if he had such loyalty, must have been taken by the President as anathema to his party's agenda.
What awaits Binay at the end of the Senate tunnel? Would he give up his ambition, as surmised by Trillanes, or brave the storm no matter what happens? The forthcoming scenario is crucial for the country.
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