Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER file photo
MANILA, Philippines—Only President Benigno Aquino III can decide whether Vice President Jejomar Binay should be kicked out of the administration coalition in the House of Representatives, said Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
According to Belmonte, the ruling Liberal Party has also left it to Binay’s sense of delicadeza whether he should continue staying on as a coalition partner after his party, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), openly accused the President of pressuring the Lower House to suspend its investigation into the Mamasapano massacre.
Some LP leaders have called for the ouster of the UNA from the House majority coalition.
“It’s really up to P-Noy and the Vice President. To me that (question) should be addressed to his (Binay) own sense of propriety,” said Belmonte in a text message.
Binay, a longstanding political ally and family friend of Mr. Aquino, is also a member of the President’s official family having been appointed to head the housing and overseas Filipino workers portfolios.
His party, UNA, is part of the administration coalition in the House, which explains why Binay’s daughter, Makati Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay, is a deputy majority leader and a member of the chamber’s powerful rules committee.
Damage control
Last Monday, UNA president and Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco said the decision of Belmonte and House leaders to suspend the Mamasapano probe, which held its first and only hearing last week, was part of Malacañang’s damage control operation to deflect the blame from the President.
“What is the Palace hiding? It’s clear there was maneuvering on the part of Malacañang to stop the hearing and investigation into what really happened in Mamasapano,” said Tiangco, who has not replied to the Inquirer’s attempts to contact him.
Belmonte has belittled Tiangco’s comment by saying, “Who believes Tiangco anyway?”
Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, a vocal Binay critic, said the Vice President was “not loyal to anyone except himself.”
“UNA should now get out of the coalition. Accusing the Speaker of being a lackey of President Aquino is uncalled for as he is part of the coalition. Speaker Belmonte cannot be dictated to by anyone, he is our leader in the House,” said Erice.
Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treas said the allegations of a whitewash were unfounded.