No 2nd term for Aquino like ‘fresh air’ to Binay

President Benigno Aquino III’s categorical statement about his disinclination to have another go at the presidency could not be more welcome news to the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Apparently delighted at the elimination of a formidable opponent in the presidential election of 2016 of which he is so far the only declared candidate, Binay on Friday tried to sound statesmanlike while taking a dig at his potential opponents in the 2016 race.

“Now that the President has spoken, the [Interior Secretary Mar] Roxas diehards in the LP should now stand down and let the President enjoy the best food fare and fresh air,” Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, the secretary general of Binay’s nominally oppositionist United Nationalist Alliance (UNA),  said in a statement.

“The statement of the President that he will step down on June 30, 2016, should now end all these divisive efforts to amend the political provisions of the Constitution,” said Binay, who as early as the beginning of his vice-presidential term already expressed his ambition to succeed Mr. Aquino.

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

“Now that the President himself has settled the issue, I hope those who are goading him to violate the Constitution will stop. I hope we can use the remaining time in the President’s term to unite our people and address our country’s problems,” he said in a statement.

“I am glad to know that we can now all focus on the pressing needs of our people and ensure  the institutionalization of government reforms,” said Binay.

In an interview with Bombo Radyo on Thursday, Mr. Aquino spoke enthusiastically of how he was looking forward to regaining his “freedom” from the burdens of high office.

Mr. Aquino was a good deal clearer on Thursday than he was in a television interview two weeks ago on TV5, thus helping to clear speculations that he was entertaining the prospect of seeking another term, which will only be possible by amending the Constitution.

Political Cha-cha dead

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, a leader of the ruling Liberal Party, on Friday said the President’s statement that he was not inclined to seek a second term has practically killed the prospects of any constitutional amendment to lift of the ban on presidential reelection.

“It should put that kind of talk to rest,” he said in a text message.

Belmonte also said there was now “no need” for the Liberal Party to discuss political Charter change (Cha-cha) officially, following days of speculation fueled by Mr. Aquino’s ambivalent statements in an earlier television interview about his “openness” to the idea of another term.

But Mr. Aquino’s statement in Thursday’s Radyo Bombo interview that he was looking forward to the end of his term should be construed as a signal to his party mates to stop pushing for political Cha-cha, Belmonte said.

LP divided

The Liberal Party has been divided on the issue of political amendments.

Some members of the administration party, including Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, have expressed support for a term extension for Mr. Aquino.

Erice earlier said he would file a bill proposing to amend the constitutional provision on a single six-year term for the President to a four-year term with reelection.

But the move met a lukewarm reception from House leaders like Belmonte and members of the majority coalition under the LP.

Belmonte, who is strongly pushing for amending the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, is with the group that is against term extension, having pledged in the past not to touch the Charter’s political provisions.

But Erice said the Liberal Party still has yet to arrive at a consensus on political constitutional amendments.

“No LP stand on political amendments. No caucus yet,” he said in a text message.

Wake up!

Tiangco said now that the President has categorically stated that he was not interested in seeking a second term, the ruling LP should wake up from its “dream” of tinkering with the Constitution for such a purpose.

Tiangco expressed confidence that the administration party would finally put to rest all attempts to amend the political provisions of the 1987 Constitution, particularly on presidential term limits.

He urged the LP to “stop being passionate” in pushing for term extension since it appeared that Mr. Aquino was no longer interested in “political Cha-cha” during his term.

Ready to campaign, win, govern

Echoing Binay’s statements, Tiangco said “there are more important issues than Cha-cha.”

He said the President practically has only two years left in his term, and the LP should thus be “focusing on priority measures instead of pushing counterproductive and divisive measures.”

But try as Binay and his allies may  to sound statesmanlike and nonpartisan, Binay’s new spokesperson Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla on Friday said the Vice President was “ready to campaign, win and govern,” with the preparations for his presidential run now under way—with a year and a few months to go before the next presidential election.

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