VP Binay not invited in Aquino reform speech – UNA

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 10 years ago

Vice President Jejomar Binay and President Benigno Aquino III. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay was not invited in the reform agenda speech of President Benigno Aquino III on Friday, according to an official of the Binay-led United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

UNA Secretary General and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco said the Office of the Vice President did not receive an invitation to attend the speech Aquino dubbed “agenda setting dialogue,” which was graced by his Cabinet members and Congress allies.

Curiously, Aquino in his speech took a swipe against those who are not with them, including those who are pushing for candidates against his still unnamed bet for 2016.

“Ang mga kontra sa atin, magtutulak ng sarili nilang kandidato. Sa kanila nga po, na hindi natin kasama ngayon dahil kontra ang prinsipyo nila sa atin, ‘di ba’t natural lang din na kokontra sila sa lahat ng nagawa natin?” Aquino said.

(Those who oppose us will push for their own candidate. And to those who are not with us today because their principles are inherently opposed to ours, is it not also natural for them to oppose everything that we have already done?)

Vice President Binay has been vocal that he wants to run for President in 2016.

Aquino also scored those who are not with him as he plans the agenda of the remaining two years of his administration.

“Kung sabihin naman nila, sang-ayon sila sa mga ito at pakay din nilang arugain ang ating mga Boss, ang magiging tanong ko po sa kanila: Bakit hindi namin kayo nakasama?” the President added.

(And should they say that they are agreement with our efforts, and that they too have the goal of serving our Bosses, then I will ask them: Why are you not with us?)

Tiangco, however, said he does not want to interpret Malacañang’s snubbing of a fellow Cabinet official.

“I don’t want to speculate why he did not invite VP Binay, but the fact is VP Binay was not invited,” Tiangco said in a phone interview.

“We just have to look at it in face value. We don’t know the reasons behind it,” he added.

Tiangco said he, as an independent member of the lower chamber, was also not invited. Senator Nancy Binay, Vice President Binay’s daughter, was also not invited.

But Deputy Majority Leader Makati Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay, Binay’s daughter, was invited as a member of the majority in the lower House, Tiangco said.

In his speech, Aquino also echoed the achievements of his administration – the arrests of high-profile fugitives like retired Major General Jovito Palparan, the recently signed peace deal between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the plugging of classroom shortage, various infrastructure projects, and the achievements of the graduates of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, among others.