Toby Tiangco: UNA has anti-corruption platform

DESPITE graft allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay, his party the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is not corrupt, the new party president said Monday.

Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco made the statement even with graft complaints filed before the Ombudsman against Vice President Binay and son Makati Mayor Junjun for their alleged involvement in the overpricing of and anomalous bidding for the Makati City Hall Building II and the Makati Science High School building.

Tiangco was reacting to Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s statement that Binay has never mentioned anti-corruption as his platform of governance during the launching of UNA last Wednesday.

“Ang laban sa pagwaldas sa kaban ng bayan ng mga tiwaling pinuno ay malinaw na nakapaloob sa aming plataporma ng pagpapatibay ng tatlong sangay ng estado gaya ng Kongreso at Hudikatura na lubhang pinahina ng pananakot at panunuhol,” Tiangco said.

Tiangco said not only does UNA have an anti-corruption platform, it also would not use its crusade against the massive pillaging of public funds to selectively persecute political opponents.

Tiangco said UNA would not emulate the Aquino administration’s selective justice of going after the opposition while sparing allies.

“Ang pagsugpo sa korapsyon ay dapat hindi lamang isang tema, islogan o dahilan para usigin ang mga kalaban sa politika. Ito ay dapat naka-angkla sa batas at ipinapatupad nang walang pagkiling sa mga piling kakampi ng mga nagpapatupad nito,” Tiangco said.

He said UNA would also not tolerate the abuse of the Constitution to allow illegal transfer of funds, an implied swipe at Aquino’s savings impounding mechanism, the Disbursement Acceleration Program, a cross-border transfer of funds mechanism declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

“The Administration attempted in previous budgets to control branches that are guaranteed Fiscal Autonomy by the Constitution through the Miscellaneous Personal Benefits Fund (MPBF) and limiting items where so-called ‘savings’ can be used. Both are against Fiscal Autonomy,” Tiangco said

“​UNA is committed to uphold the constitutional design of checks and balances in the three co-equal branches of government, and promote transparency and accountability, as they have been weakened by threats and bribes under the current dispensation,” he added.

In a statement reacting to Binay’s speech at UNA’s launching when he hit the Aquino administration for being “palpak” and “manhid, Escudero said he has never heard a crusade against corruption as Binay’s platform.

“Sa dami ng sinabi nya. Wala syang sinabi na hindi sya o sila magnanakaw… Wala syang binanggit ni isang salita ukol sa ‘tuwid na daan’ at sa pagtiyak na gagalangin at papangalagaan nila ang kaban ng bayan,” Escudero said.