Binay bewails Aquino’s ‘palpak,’ ‘manhid’ leadership in counter-Sona

VICE President Jejomar Binay on Monday blasted the Aquino administration’s “palpak” and “manhid” governance in light of various calamities the country went through during its watch.

In his version of the State of the Nation Address (Sona) delivered in jampacked gymnasium of the Cavite State University, Binay said Aquino’s response to calamities and disaster is “Buhay pa naman kayo, hindi ba?”

Binay highlighted the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking crisis, the Mamasapano incident, the disorganized government response to the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda, among others, to criticize the administration.

To illustrate the Aquino administration’s supposed “manhid” governance, Binay cited four places, which he claimed, experienced the government’s insensitivity:

-Luneta for the 2010 Quirino hostage-taking crisis,

-Tacloban for the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda,

-Zamboanga city for the siege of the Moro National Liberation Front Nur Misuari faction, and

-Mamasapano, Maguindanao for the botched anti-terror raid of the Special Action Force (SAF)

Binay hit Aquino for failing to acknowledge in his Sona the heroism 44 SAF members who died in the botched anti-terror raid in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Jan. 25.

“Sa Mamasapano, apatnapu’t apat ang nagbuwis ng buhay at marami ang sugatan. Ngunit kahit pahapyaw, hindi nabanggit ang kanilang kabayanihan sa Sona. Kahit TY ay wala,” Binay said. (In Mamasapano, 44 officers gave up their lives for the country. But their heroism was neither acknowledged nor mentioned in the Sona. They did not even get a “thank you.”)

He said Aquino instead chose to say thank you to members of his Cabinet, even his stylist and designer, while ignoring the 44 SAF troops.

“Buti pa ang hair stylist at fashion designer, kasama sa mahabang listahan ng pinasalamatan,” Binay added. (The hair stylist and fashion designer were more fortunate, as they were dutifully included in the long “gratitude list.”)

In the case of Tacloban, Binay said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas politicized the rescue operations when he took issue of Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez being the nephew of former first lady Imelda Marcos, widow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

President Aquino’s father Ninoy Aquino was assassinated under the Marcos administration.

Binay also criticized Aquino’s supposed response during the onslaught of Yolanda: “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

“Sa Tacloban, sa gitna ng malawak na pinsala ng Super Bagyong Yolanda, habang nagkalat ang mga patay, nagugutom, nauuhaw, lumuluha at nagmamakaawa ng dagliang tulong, ang sagot ng administrasyon: buhay pa naman kayo, hindi ba?” Binay said. (In Tacloban, in the midst of the damage brought by super typhoon Yolanda, while bodies lay scattered, people roamed hungry, thirsty, crying, pleading for relief, did the administration not say, “Oh, but you are all still alive, aren’t you?”)

Binay also cited the latest United Nations report, which noted the shortcomings of the rehabilitation efforts since Yolanda.

“Mismong ang United Nations, kamakailan lamang, ang nagbigay ng kanilang kongklusyon: kulang na kulang ang ginagawa ng pamahalaan para makapag-bagong buhay ang mga nasalanta ng Yolanda,” he said. (The United Nations itself just recently presented its conclusion: the government was lacking. It did not do enough to alleviate the problems of the people affected by Yolanda.)

Binay said Aquino proved his insensitivity in handling the Luneta crisis when tourist bus was seized by a disgruntled police officer, which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead.

Aquino has refused to apologize for the hostage taking, calling the casualties “collateral damage,” Binay said.

“Kung inyong natatandaan, buwan ng Agosto noong 2010 nang mangyari ang trahedya sa Luneta. Mistulang hinayaan na lamang mapatay ang walong inosenteng turista na ginawang hostage.  Collateral damage o hindi sinasadya daw,” he said.

(If you will recall, the Luneta tragedy happened in August of 2010. It appeared then that they just allowed innocent tourists to be taken hostage and be killed. They termed it as collateral damage, unintentional.)

In Zamboanga city, meanwhile, the evacuees in evacuation centers have resorted to prostitution amid slow response by the government, Binay said.

“Sa Zamboanga, daan-daan ang namatay, libu-libong bahay ang nasunog. Ngunit mas malaking trahedya ang sinapit ng ating mga kababayan sa mga evacuation centers na pinamahalaan ng national government. Mas masaklap pa rito ang ulat ng mga kababaihan at kabataan na naging biktima ng panggagahasa at napunta sa prostitusyon,” Binay said. (In Zamboanga, 200 were killed and thousands of homes were reduced to ashes. But a greater tragedy awaited our people in the evacuation centers that our national government provided. What’s worse are the reports of women and children raped and forced into prostitution.)

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