Aquino still trusts Binay – Palace

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang on Sunday insisted that President Benigno Aquino III has full confidence in Vice President Jejomar Binay despite complaints coming from his allies.

“Hangga’t walang partikular na pahiwatig o pahayag ang Pangulo, meron siyang pagtitiwala o kumpiyansa sa mga miyembro ng kanyang Gabinete at kabilang diyan si Vice President Binay,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over state-run DZRB.

(Until there is no particular insinuation or announcement from the President, he has full trust and confidence in the members of his Cabinet, including Vice President Binay.)

Coloma’s statement was in reaction to Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice’s call for the resignation of Binay, whom the congressman called “two-faced.”

However, the Secretary said Malacañang won’t ask Erice to watch his words.

“Ang pagbikas ng privilege speech ay karapatan ng bawat mambabatas. Iginagalang namin ang paggamit ni Kinatawang Erice sa karapatang ito. Walang partisipasyon ang Tanggapan ng Pangulo sa desisyon niyang magtalumpati,” he said.

(The privilege speech is a right of every lawmaker. We respect Representative Erice’s decision to invoke this right. The Office of the President has nothing to do with his decision.)

He merely said that Erice was accountable to his constituents.

Erice earlier lambasted Binay for “maligning” the Liberal Party, which is chaired by Aquino.

He said Binay couldn’t “have his cake and eat it too” by aligning himself with the administration.

“If he is a true ally of the Aquino administration, he should order his children and party mates to stop their attacks against Malacañang and President Aquino’s party mates. But if he is a true leader of the opposition, he should immediately resign from the Cabinet so that he could continue hitting the mistakes made by the Aquino administration and the Liberal Party,” Erice said.

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