Binay fears more ‘black propaganda’ vs him

Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay continued to gripe on Sunday about his detractors whom he feared would not stop maligning him and his family, amid corruption allegations against them.

Binay made his sentiments known at the start of his speech at the 19th National Seafarers’ Day at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila, which was attended mostly by students in marine and seafaring schools.

Despite the allegations of corruption against the Vice President, a survey by his supporters in the business community found that Binay, who has declared his intention to run for president in 2016, remained to be the choice of the people if the presidential election were held today. But his numbers went down in September from last month.

Still, this downward trend was attributed more to the fact that there were more possible presidential candidates coming in, rather than the corruption allegations against him.

Speaking in Filipino at the seafarers’ day celebration, Binay said he was glad over the warm welcome and loud applause given to him by his audience.

But he said this made him think again of the possibility that his detractors “may come up tomorrow with stories to vilify my person and of my family.”

He thanked the seafarers for their remittances, which, he said, would amount to over $5.5 billion by the end of 2014. He said these remittances contributed to the nation’s progress.

Seafarers, he added, have so far brought in $2.7 billion in remittances during the first six months of 2014.

The Vice President said that the government has been doing its best to ensure the welfare of the country’s seafarers.

After the event, Binay was in no mood to talk to reporters who had inquired about developments in the Senate inquiry on the alleged Makati City parking building overprice, leaving the premises immediately.

Binay has denied he had allowed the rigging of bid contracts of projects in Makati City, including the allegedly overpriced P2.3-billion city hall parking building, when he was its mayor.

He has also denied allegations by former Makati City officials that he accepted kickbacks from the projects.

Last week, his spokesperson denied new allegations that he had used dummies to corner government contracts and conceal the assets he had acquired when he was mayor.

Binay has reason to cheer though at least in a survey commissioned by his supporters and done by pollster Pedro “Junie” Laylo Jr., who used to be with Social Weather Station.

The nationwide survey with sample size of 1,200 was conducted from Sept. 7 to 11, the height of accusations against Binay. It had an error of margin of plus or minus 3 percent of national percentages.

It showed that Binay remained to be the top choice for president if the election were held today, with 36 percent. Trailing him were Sen. Grace Poe (19 percent), former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (13), Sen. Miriam Santiago and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte (8 each) Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas and Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., (7 each) and Sen. Alan Cayetano (3).

Binay’s number was down from the 44 percent he had in August.

But the survey said that the “longer list in the September poll contribute(d) to the Binay vote erosion nationwide.”

In the August survey, the poll did not include Santiago, Duterte and Marcos.

The survey’s analysts believed that the Vice President would be the beneficiary if any candidate pull out, especially Poe or Estrada.

The survey also touched on the allegations against Binay where it found out that former Makati City officials testifying in the Senate investigation were highly distrusted.

The survey asked if they had much trust, little trust or very little trust in Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, the United Makati Against Corruption, former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, lawyer Renato Bondal (who filed the plunder complaint against Binay and his son Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay) Mario Hechanova who was head of the city’s general services.

Of the five, Trillanes had the highest trust rating with 54 percent while Mercado (26 percent), Bondal (21) and Hechanova (16) trailing behind.

When asked if people were following the news of the corruption allegations against Binay, only 37 percent said they have done so “sometimes.” Only five percent said they were following these news “always.”

But 67 percent said they believed the Senate investigations were politically motivated while the rest said the accusations against Binay had basis.

When asked if they thought the allegations against Binay were true, 28 percent said these were true. Forty-six percent of those who said they believed the accusations against Binay were true came from the National Capital Region.

Seventy-five percent, meanwhile, said the allegations against Binay were false after Mercado had testified in the Senate.

Asked who they thought were engaged in politicking amid the allegations, 72 percent said Binay’s critics and political enemies were doing so.

The opinion was split to the question whether Binay should attend the hearing.

Fifty-two percent said it would be a good idea for him not to attend the hearing since the allegations were a distraction from his work as Vice President while 48 percent agreed his absence was an attempt to avoid facing the allegations and telling the truth.

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