Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines — Vice President Jejomar Binay has described the ongoing “smear campaign” against him as a well-funded media attack that included paying off journalists to churn out negative reports about him.
“The media bought the lies that my enemies had peddled. I’m sorry to say this, but what they spent in this campaign is huge. If we will gauge this smear campaign, with Intensity 4 as the strongest, this would have reached Intensity 5,” he told reporters in Filipino at Fontana Leisure Park here last Saturday.
“All your explanations had been blocked. You cannot penetrate. You cannot neutralize these negative reports,” he added.
Binay, who attended a wedding in Angeles City and later watched the Ligligan Parul (Giant Lantern Festival) in the City of San Fernando, said some broadcasters, whom he did not identify, received money from his detractors to hit him.
“These broadcasters have signing fees. Each broadcaster is paid for every attack against me,” he said.
Binay, who had been linked to alleged irregularities in contracts entered into by the Makati City government when he was mayor, did not identify the people who he said were behind these attacks.
“Our problem is we cannot penetrate the media and we find it hard to relay our side,” he said.
On the latest drop in his approval and trust ratings in recent surveys, Binay said: “These lies had somewhat affected our survey ratings because this is a battle of perception.”
RELATED STORIES