Busy, busy Binay free only on Nov. 27 for Trillanes debate

Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla, the political spokesman of Vice President Jejomar Binay (right photo) said Binay was available for the debate with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (left) only on Nov. 27. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines–All but the date and venue of the debate between Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV have been settled, according to Binay’s political spokesman Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla.

Remulla said that because of the Vice President’s busy schedule, the latter was available for the debate with the senator only on Nov. 27.

He said this was the date he proposed in a meeting on Wednesday with officials of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), which was organizing and hosting the debate.

“The Vice President plans his schedules two months in advance,” Remulla told the Inquirer, in explaining the busy schedule of Binay.

Trillanes earlier said he wanted his debate with Binay to take place on Nov. 22, a statement slammed by Binay’s camp as it was tantamount to bullying the Vice President and the KBP into agreeing to his terms. Binay’s camp also said that Trillanes apparently wanted to back out of the debate.

Remulla said Binay was determined to have the debate with Trillanes so he could defend himself from corruption allegations being hurled against him in an ongoing Senate inquiry.

“Call. I will bend backwards again just so that this debate would finally push through,” Trillanes said in a statement issued by his staff on Wednesday.

The Cavite governor said the KBP was still finding a suitable venue for the debate. Although he said, he had proposed either the Philamlife Theater on UN Avenue in Manila or the plenary hall of the GSIS building on East Avenue, Quezon City.

So far, he said the two sides and the KBP had agreed that the debate take place at 10 a.m.

Four issues

They have also agreed on four issues that would be tackled in the debate, according to Remulla.

Other minor details that need to be ironed out include who between Binay and Trillanes would speak first and last during the debate, he said.

It was Binay who challenged Trillanes to a public debate on the corruption allegations against him.

The Vice President said he wanted to debate with Trillanes because the senator was responsible for filing the Senate resolution to look into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II now being investigated by a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee.

The Senate inquiry has expanded to more corruption allegations against Binay.–With a report from Leila Salaverria

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