Binay should resign, says Aquino ally

Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice and Vice President Jejomar Binay (inset). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Benigno Aquino III statement that Vice President Jejomar Binay was free to go if he did not think the administration was doing right was a “clear signal” for the embattled vice president to quit his two Cabinet posts, Caloocan Representative Edgar Erice said Monday.

Binay, a close friend of the President’s family who belongs to a rival party, chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and is the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers.

“It’s just a light way of saying that the vice president is no longer needed in the Cabinet. The President issued that statement precisely because the vice president’s action is not an action of a team player,” said Erice.

“My guess is that if Binay will file a courtesy resignation, it will be accepted in five minutes,” Erice added in a text message.

Erice said there were a lot of competent government officials who fully support the President and could be named to replace Binay.

But Erice said that, judging from Binay’s political plans, he did not think the vice president would leave the Aquino administration.

“Binay will not resign; he will cling to his post. He will endure the humiliation because he is using his Cabinet post in his campaign, including the use of government resources,” Erice said.

Buhay Representative Lito Aitenza, an ally of Binay, said the vice president should consider quitting the Aquino administration.

“All this time the vice president has been very supportive of President Aquino. If he thinks that’s not enough, maybe he should think of dissociating himself. If the President cannot accept criticisms, especially from one who considers him a good friend and is loyal to him, then that’s a tragedy. He should not put malice into the vice president’s criticisms,” said Atienza.

Atienza advised the President to be cautious with respect to his “fair-weather friends” who were part of previous administrations unlike Binay, who has been with him and his family from their darkest days.

“The vice president’s loyalty to the President and his family and mother cannot be questioned. He fought for his mother. I was there. We fought for his mother, so he should not take our criticisms personally. They’re not personal to us,” said Atienza.

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