Senator Nacy Binay and Senator Grace Poe. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
Senators Grace Poe and Nancy Binay are not on speaking terms yet since officials of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) questioned the former’s qualifications to run for a higher post in 2016.
“Hindi pa (Not yet),” Poe said in a text message on Tuesday when asked if she and Binay were communicating with each other after the residency issue.
Last week, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, interim president of UNA, questioned the qualifications of Poe to run for a higher office next year, claiming she did not meet the 10-year residency requirement of the law. Tiangco later apologized for causing damage to the friendship between the Binay family and Poe.
Binay admitted that she had not spoken yet with Poe, as there was no opportunity yet to talk with her.
“Di ba sabi ko pahupain muna natin yung situation? Hurtful words were said…There will be a perfect timing for that na mag-uusap-usap,” she told reporters in an interview at the Senate on Tuesday.
(As I said, let’s wait for the situation to calm down. Hurtful words were said. There will be a perfect timing for that, to talk)
But she said she has “no qualms” with working with Poe, noting how she managed to work with Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano despite their personal issues. Cayetano was among those actively participating in the Senate probe on corruption allegations against Nancy Binay’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Asked if she would initiate talks with Poe, Senator Binay said: “Tingnan natin, who knows baka mamaya ’pag nagkita kami sa lounge we’ll start talking.”
(Let’s see, who knows when we see each other later in the lounge, we’ll start talking.)
But Senator Binay said friendship should prevail over politics as she assured that UNA will not raise again the residency issue against Poe.
“Parang kumbaga, lahat kami are heeding the call of my sister na tigilan muna yang mga ganyang mga issue kasi nga kumbaga mas dapat manaig yung pinagsamahan kaysa politika,” she said.
“Para sa amin, ang eleksyon, isang araw lang yan. Pagkatapos nyan, tapos na kaya mas dapat mas pangalagaan yung friendship over politics,” she added.
Asked if she would issue the same call on Poe’s camp, Senator Binay said: “Well, it’s up to them. If they will also follow yung ganoong pakikisama, di ba?”
Vice President Binay campaigned for Poe’s late father, Fernando Poe Jr., who ran but lost to then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. AC
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