Binay told: Before criticizing, answer raps first

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Before harping on the shortcomings of the Aquino administration, Vice President Jejomar Binay should first respond to allegations of corruption against him, said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

“The people are more interested to hear about these,” Cayetano, who is spearheading the continuing Senate investigation into corruption in Makati, said in a statement reacting to Binay’s contra-Sona speech the other day.

Sen. Grace Poe, asked for her reaction to Binay’s so-called “true” state of the nation speech, said criticisms should be coupled with proposed solutions and should not be made just to serve one’s personal or political interest.

It would have been better if Binay had spoken up about the supposed shortcomings he saw when he was still a member of the President’s Cabinet and not on the day of his speech, she said.

“Nobody is perfect, but any criticism should be accompanied by solutions, and these should not be done for personal political interests, but to be helpful,” Poe told reporters on Tuesday.

“But that is his personal decision,” she added.

However, Poe said she appreciated Binay’s acknowledgment of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) troops who were massacred by Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last January.

Aquino did not make any mention of the slain troopers at his State of the Nation Address (Sona) though he mentioned the name of the international terrorist who was the object of the botched SAF operation.

Poe led the Senate inquiry into the Mamasapano incident. However, she has not reported out the committee findings to the plenary.

Meanwhile, the Binay camp scoffed at what they said was Malacañang’s “overreaction” to Binay’s contra-Sona to the point of questioning officials of the Cavite State University (CSU) for hosting Binay last Monday.

Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman, asked presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, who reportedly made the move to question CSU officials, whether the country was under martial law.

He reminded the Palace that the country was under a democracy and that it should not prevent a free flow exchange of opinions, especially in the schools.

It was “a preview of how the administration will use its power to harass and intimidate during the election season,” Salgado said.

He said this was no different from Health Secretary Janette Garin reportedly scolding the president of the Philippine Public Health Association, for inviting Binay to be a guest speaker recently.

“The pattern of threatening people is clear,” Salgado said.

He explained that Binay’s Sona was organized by the CSU upon the invitation of the CSU Student Council.

Meanwhile, Binay in a radio interview on Tuesday said he would not mind having Sen. Bongbong Marcos a vice-presidential running mate as the latter had experience and capabilities in local government.

Binay said Marcos, the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was one of those being considered by his search committee as a possible running mate.

Reminded that he had fought the Marcos dictatorship as a human rights lawyer, Binay said: “You know I want my administration, the Binay administration, to be known as a unifying administration. We have to be one.”

He said the President says things and often resorts to blaming the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the nation’s ills even if this was not true.

Binay said the economy was in good condition, which he said was partly because of the reforms started by the Arroyo administration.

Asked if he would include Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Aquino’s anointed successor, in his unified administration, Binay said this would happen if he were to make such an offer and Roxas accepts it.

Asked on the possibility of Poe being his running mate, he said Poe had already said she did not want to team up with him and this should be respected.

Binay said he remains friends with Poe’s mother, movie star Susan Roces.