Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines–Vice President Jejomar Binay vowed to continue the government’s anti-corruption drive should he get elected president in 2016.
Binay said he agreed with Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II’s statement that the next president should continue the “tuwid na daan” (straight path) that this administration has started.
“’Yun ho ay sang-ayon sa kaniya. Basta’t ako ho, ‘yun hong mga magaganda at tamang ginawa dapat ipagpatuloy s a tamang namamahala ,” the Vice President said in an interview Thursday.
(That is according to him. I believe that the good that this government has done should be continued by the next rightful leader.)
” A ko noong maging mayor po ako , ‘yung mga mabuting ginawa ‘nung aking pinalitan halimbawa ho ‘yung ospital, ‘yung sa kalusugan, pinagpatuloy ko po ‘yun. Hindi porke sa kaniya nagsimula kahit na maganda hindi ko ho ipagpapatuloy. Hindi po ako ‘yung ganoong klase. So, palagay ko hindi ho sa akin pinasasabi ‘yun,” he said.
(When I became mayor, I continued the good projects of my predecessor—just like the hospital and health services of my constituents. Just because I did not start it doesn’t mean that I will not continue it. I am not the kind of a leader. So I don’t think (Roxas) was alluding to me.)
Binay recognized that the administration’s drive against corruption is something that must be pursued by President Aquino’s successor.
“Ang maganda naman ho doon ‘yung paglaban ho sa graft and corruption. Maganda ho ‘yun. Ipagpapatuloy po natin ‘yun at pag-iibayuhin pa ho natin, a t ipapakita nating may resulta,” said the Vice President.
(The great thing about this administration is its fight against graft and corruption. It is a great policy. I will continue it and even improve it by showing its results.)
Binay himself though is being confronted with corruption allegations such as receiving kickbacks when he was still the mayor of Makati City. He has also been accused of using dummies to hide his allegedly unexplained wealth.
But the Vice President has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Binay won against Roxas during the 2010 vice presidential race and the two are again being pitted against each other, this time, for the 2016 presidential race.
Unlike Binay, Roxas has yet to publicly announce his intention to run for president.
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