Palace hits back at Binay: ‘You clapped for Aquino for 5 years’

MALACAÑANG on Monday lashed back at Vice President Jejomar Binay minutes after he delivered a speech, which is supposed to highlight the “true” state of the nation.

In a text message sent to reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that for the past five years, Binay has been part of the government he now criticizes.

“Limang taon kang pumapalakpak noon sa mga sinasabi mong palpak ngayon (You clapped for the faults you are exposing now for the past five years),” Lacierda said.

Meanwhile, Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad, who was tagged by Binay as the “budget scam mastermind” for crafting the partly-unconstitutional Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), said that he did not listen to the vice president’s counter-Sona.

“I did not listen to VP Binay. I hope he was as specific, factual and evidence-based as PNoy’s SONA. I hope he was as uplifting as PNoy was. I hope he inspired hope in the future. If not, I am lucky then to have used my time with work,” Abad said in a statement.

In his speech, which lasted for about 45 minutes, Binay again used his “bumbling and insensitive” tag against the Aquino administration.

He also hit the Aquino government, where he is a member of the Cabinet for the past five years before he resigned last June, for MRT woes and lack of jobs and social services.

Binay also paid tribute to the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troopers who died in the botched counter-terrorist operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao last January. He named each SAF trooper and even saluted their mural, which served as his backdrop for his counter-Sona.

However, the vice president was mum on the corruption allegations lodged against him.

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