Only Trillanes is enjoying Senate probe—Binay camp

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

It’s an anniversary marked not with an exchange of gifts, but with a trade of sharp words.

As the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee marked the first year of its probe into corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay, one of his spokespersons said that only one person is getting a thrill out of it.

“(Anniversary) na namin ni Senator Trillanes; mukhang siya lang ang masaya kasi wala namang natatatawa sa ginagawa niya kasi puro bintang, ‘di naman niya talaga mapatunayan,” said Atty. Rico Paolo Quicho, Binay’s spokesman for political concerns, in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM on Thursday.

(Senator Trillanes seems to be the only one enjoying this because no one appreciates what he’s doing, which is purely hurling allegations without proof.)

Trillanes initiated the Senate probe, which has exposed alleged corrupt practices of Binay and his family from the time he was still the mayor of Makati City.

The resumption of the hearing on Thursday will reportedly focus on the ‘ghost’ senior citizens in Makati.

READ: Trillanes: Records show Makati has 30,000 ‘ghost’ senior citizens

Trillanes claims that records of the National Statistics Office (NSO) show that 30,000 names from the more than 60,000 registered senior citizens in Makati are either dead or nonexistent.

Quicho, however, said that the registration of senior citizens in Makati follows a process of personal appearance and cross checking from the city’s social welfare department.

“’Yung mga benepisyong tinatanggap ng mga senior citizens, especially cash benefits, kailangan po niyan, personally received. Kung may nilalabas pong pera, malinaw po na tinatanggap nila ‘yan personally,” Quicho said.

(The benefits received by senior citizens, especially cash benefits, should be received personally. If the city distributes cash, it is clear that the recipients should get it personally.)

All bark, no bite

Trillanes said in a separate interview with Radyo Inquirer that a year into the probe has proven that Binay is corrupt.

“(The Senate investigation proves) na si VP binay ay kurakot at in a large scale. Massive corruption ang pinag-uuspaan dito, na lahat ng pwedneg pagkakitaan ay pinagkakitaan,” he said.

(The Senate investigation proves that VP Binay is corrupt and in a large scale. We are talking of massive corruption here; he would take money from any means possible.)

“Kaya ito sana, nakilala ng mga kababayan natin at sana magtanda na huwag naman, huwag naman nating gawing pinuno ng bansa ito. At hindi lang ‘yan, we won’t stop there kelangan nating ipakulong…” Trillanes added.

(So hopefully, the people have known him better and hopefully won’t make the mistake of electing him as this country’s leader. We should also not stop until he is jailed.)
The spokesperson said that the senator was all “all bark and no bite,” and dared him to file charges in the proper forum.

“Diyan magaling si Senator Trillanes, all bark, no bite. Panay ho pa-interview sa media kapag harapan sa korte, kinakabahan na, parang hindi makatulog,” he said.

(Senator Trillanes is all bark, no bite. He always does interviews with the media, but when challenged to meet in court, he gets nervous and acts as if he is losing sleep over it.)

“Senator Trillanes, kung gaano katapang ‘yung sinasabi niyo sa labas ng Senado, sa labas ng korte, dalhin natin sa tamang lugar ‘yan. Hindi naman kayabangan kahit saan na lang pinapakita. Doon tayo sa tamang proseso. Hirap niyo kasi patulan, malakas lang ang loob niyo kapag sa media. Pero kapag harapan na sa tamang proseso, para kayong laging kinakabahan,”

(Senator Trillanes, let’s take to the court all your brave claims outside the Senate. Let’s not display our arrogance anywhere. Let’s do it through the right process. It’s a challenge putting up with you because you are only confident in front of the media. But when dared to follow the right process, you always seem nervous.)

READ: Binay camp dares Trillanes: Prove claim on ‘ghost’ senior citizens

Quicho said that the Senate hearing, which has dragged on for a year now, only fuels Binay’s resolve to serve and exposes his rivals’ shortcomings.

“Nakikita natin itong pattern ng Senate investigation: Lahat po ng epektibong nagawa ni Vice President Binay para sa ating mahihirap na kababayan ay sinisira po nila ngayon sapagkat di nila ito kayang gawin. Imbis na makita ng tao yung kahusayan at karansan ni Vice President ay mas madaling manira na lamang.

(We are sensing a pattern in the Senate investigation: The rivals of Vice President Binay are only undermining the good programs he instituted for the poor because they cannot do the same. So instead of highlighting the good actions and experiences of the Vice President, they are only disparaging him.)

“’Yung sakit na ‘yan, isang taon na nating nararamdaman. Pero sabi nga, lalong nasusugatan, lalong tumatapang si Vice President Binay, lalong tumitindi ang kagustuhan niyang ipagpatuloy ang serbisyong naipakita niya sa Makati sa buong Pilipinas.”

(We have been hurt for a year now. But as they say, the more he is hurt, the more Vice President Binay becomes braver, the more he is inspired to continue the service he has shown in Makati to the entire Philippines.) Ivan Angelo L. de Lara