Vice President Jejomar Binay
MANILA, Philippines – Was Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya’s statement on the differences between the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) and the Liberal Party (LP) being “black and white” meant a dig against Vice President Jejomar Binay’s dark complexion?
“When you say black, are you referring to the Vice President’s skin color?” asked UNA secretary general and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco in a press statement on Monday.
He was reacting to the LP acting president’s statement during the weekend saying that the Binay-led coalition was “amused” with the ruling party’s “confused color branding.”
He urged Abaya, a member of the Cabinet, to be “more circumspect in issuing remarks that may be seen as racial slur.”
“OK lang sa amin kung hindi kami mapuputi (It’s OK for us if we’re not endowed with fair skin), if they are now basing it on the color of the skin because the Vice President is dark… but we appeal to the leadership of LP to go beyond the innuendoes of skin color and to stop pitting the Vice President against the President,” he said.
UNA has earlier slammed LP stalwart and Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone for pressing them to decide whether they were supporters or opponents of the Aquino administration.
The coalition maintained in its earlier statements that it was a “constructive opposition” composed of “fiscalizers” which would support effective programs but will not hesitate to criticize those they deem to be inefficient.
Tiangco suggested that the LP decide whether it wanted to be linked to the color white or yellow.
Yellow is the campaign color of the LP, led by President Benigno Aquino III.
“The Liberal Party is apparently confused as to its color branding simply because of the confusing multi-color mix of senatorial bets in the LP coalition ticket,” said the UNA official.