Binay pullout from debate reminiscent of ‘Manila Pen’ siege debacle

By: Maila Ager - 10 years ago

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay’s decision to withdraw from his debate with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has brought back old memories of the time when Binay first allegedly backed out from the protest march against the previous administration.

“Itong nangyaring pag-atras nya at pagbitaw nya sa kanyang salita ay hindi bago sa akin,” Trillanes said in an interview at his office in the Senate.

(His decision to back out and go back on his word is not new to me.)

The senator then recalled how Binay suddenly disappeared and failed to deliver his promise to mobilize people against then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Trillanes disclosed that Binay, who was mayor of Makati City at that time, was among those who planned the protest march against against Arroyo, later known as the Manila Pen (Manila Peninsula) siege.

It was the senator, then Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade Trillanes, who led the march in November 2007, along with other soldiers charged with rebellion.

“Kasi kung maalala nyo yung Manila Pen incident noong 2007, kasama po si Vice President Binay sa pagpaplano nito. Ginawa namin yang pagpaplano na yan dun po sa opisina noong judge na humahawak ng aming kaso sa Makati RTC at doon po nagbitaw sya ng salita na kasama sya, na gagamitin nya ang kanyang position para imobilize yung mga empleyado ng mga Makati City hall, ang urban poor ng Makati, ang mga estudtyante ng UMak,” said the senator.

“Doon sa araw na nagpag usapan at alam nyo noong eve ng Manila Penn incident, naipasok na namin yug baril namin doon sa Makati City Hall para nga magamit nga sa pag aklas so up to that point, talagang maliwanag na kasama,” he said.

(If you recall the Manila Pen incident in 2007, Binay was part of the planning. We mapped out the plans in the office of the judge who was handling our case in Makati RTC and it was there that he said that he was part of the plan, that he would use his position to mobilize Makati employees, urban poor and students.

On the intended day and on the eve of the Manila Pen incident, we managed to bring our guns inside Makati City Hall for use in our uprising so up to that point, it’s really clear that he’s part of this.)

But after they walked out from a court hearing in Makati as planned, Trillanes said Binay was nowhere to be found.

“Paglabas namin noong araw ng pag aklas ay wala po si Vice President Binay. Pinahamak nya po yung buong grupo at kung hindi dahil sa media ng araw na yon, marami sanang namatay,” the senator said.

Trillanes and his group were later arrested and brought to the Camp Crame in Quezon City.

“Andun sya (Binay) sa Camp Crame, nagdala sya ng mga abugado. Humingi sya ng paumanhin, nagkamali daw siya ng info…” the senator said when asked how the Vice President explained his failure to deliver his promise.

(He was in Camp- Crame, he brought a lawyer. He apologized, he got the wrong info . . .”)

Binay and Trillanes were scheduled to face each other in a debate on November 27 but the vice president announced this Tuesday that he was withdrawing from it.

Trillanes said Binay’s decision showed the vice president’s “lack of character,” “untrustworthiness” and the lack of any intention to face the people and answer all the charges being hurled at him.

Binay, Trillanes said, should also be ashamed of himself for announcing his decision at the Philippine Marines headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

“Nakakahiya na dun pa nya ginawa sa headquarters ng Marines kasi ang mga marines hindi umaatras e. So dapat bawiin din siguro ng marines yung uniporme nya,” Trillanes added.
(It’s embarrassing that he even did it in the headquarters of the Marines because the Marines did not back out so maybe the Marines should get back his uniform.)