Nancy Binay suspects political rivals behind plunder rap vs dad, brother

Senator Nancy Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Senator Nancy Binay suspects that the people behind the filing of plunder charges against her brother and father might be allied with either the Liberal Party (LP) or the Nacionalista Party (NP).

“Paulit-ulit naman ho naming sinasabi, this is all about 2016 (We’ve been saying that this is all about 2016),” she said over radio DWIZ on Wednesday, reacting to the case filed against her father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, and brother, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay.

The case filed at the Office of the Ombudsman Tuesday stemmed from an allegedly overpriced parking building in Makati City.

Asked who could be the allies of their detractors in Makati, the senator said: “E ewan ko kung sino ba ang nag-aambisyon sa 2016. Marami naman hong gustong tumakbo sa 2016 so it can be anyone of them.”

(I’m not sure who has political aspirations for 2016. There are many candidates who want to run in 2016 so it can be anyone of them)

Pressed to identify the party of the local opponents of her brother, the senator said she did not know exactly the group but said it could be the NP or the LP.

“NP or LP ho kasi ang alam ko sa local may koalisyon ang NP at LP dahil ang kapatid ko nga ho ay sa UNA tumakbo,” she said, referring to the United Nationalist Alliance being headed by her father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, and detained Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

(What I know is that the NP and the LP have a local coalition because my brother ran under UNA)

On Tuesday, a group of Makati residents filed a plunder case against Vice President Binay, Mayor Binay and other Makati City officials over the alleged “unconscionable overpricing” in the construction of an 11-story parking building that the city government supposedly built for P1.56 billion.

Senator Binay insisted that the filing of the case was politically motivated, noting how her family had always been charged in court almost every election.

“Kung may katotohanan po sa mga alegasyon nila e bakit ho pagdating ng halalan, patuloy naman ho ang suporta ng mga mamayan ng Makati sa aking pamilya?” she said.

(If there was truth to their allegations, then why is that the people in Makati continue to support my family come election?)

Unfazed by these allegations, the senator promised that her family would continue to do their work.

“Umasa ho ang ating mga kababayan na kahit anong putik ang ibato ho sa aming pamilya, basta ho kami patuloy lang sa mga trabaho na binigay sa amin…” she said.

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