Amid word war, Binay still considers Aquino a friend

President Benigno Aquino III (right) and Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Vice President Jejomar Binay said that he still considers President Benigno Aquino III as a friend despite the fact that their camps are engaged in a verbal tussle.

In an interview aired over Radyo Inquirer 990 AM on Tuesday, Binay said that it is his responsibility to point out the lapses of the Aquino administration.

“Basta ako, ang pamilya nila, siya ay tinuturing kong kaibigan. Nagsisiwalat lang ako ng mga bagay-bagay na dapat malaman ng taumbayan (In my end, I consider him and his family as my friends. I only revealed things that the public needs to know),” Binay said.

Binay issued the reaction after he was hit by Aquino in his two speeches in Cebu City on Monday.

In his speech at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region VII Monday morning, Aquino said Binay should see an optometrist to see what he has done for the province of Cebu.

READ: President twits Binay: See your eye doctor

“Problem is, those who pretend to be blind will not see anything even if we give them good glasses,” Aquino said.

The Vice President earlier said that the slide of Cebu’s ranking in the competitive index was due to the administration’s failure to provide its fair share in taxes and major infrastructure projects. He also slammed the Liberal Party for its alleged selective appropriation, with other provinces luckier than others.

Meanwhile, in the “Gathering of Friends” held at the Cebu Coliseum Monday afternoon, Aquino twitted Binay anew, saying that he will derail the supposed gains of “Daang Matuwid.”

READ: Aquino hits Binay twice in Cebu

Despite the President’s rebuke, Binay maintained that Aquino has indeed neglected the vote-rich province of Cebu.

Binay was also in Cebu province on Monday.

Since he resigned from his Cabinet posts last June, Binay has become a staunch critic of the administration. In several occasions, the vice president slammed the government for being “bumbling and insensitive” to the plight of Filipinos. Aries Joseph Hegina/IDL