Binay sings new tune on Marcos

By: Niña P. Calleja - 9 years ago

Vice President Jejomar Binay and late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Vice President Jejomar Binay, a former human rights lawyer, on Friday downplayed the human rights violations committed during martial law, saying the country should “move on.”

Binay spoke favorably about the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., whom he has been eyeing to be his running mate during a roundtable discussion aired live on TV5 Friday morning.

“It depends on the time you are in. Enough of vindictiveness. Let’s move on. Human rights (during the martial law) is no longer an issue,” Binay said when asked about a possible conflict with picking Marcos as his running mate in the 2016 elections.

At least 7,000 people were reportedly tortured, 2,000 salvaged, and 1,000 disappeared under the Marcos dictatorship.

READ: To young Filipinos who never knew martial law and dictatorship / Why Bongbong Marcos should run for president in 2016 / WHAT WENT BEFORE: Martial law victims

Recently, victims of human rights violations during martial law filed a new case against former first lady Imelda Marcos and Senator Marcos at the Makati Regional Trial Court for the supposed obstruction of the human rights violations victims’ efforts to collect on the historic $2-billion (about P88-billion) compensation for 9,539 claimants awarded by a Hawaii district court in 1995.

“The debacle is already a thing of the past. But there are still human rights violations, people up to now, people missing, critics of the government being killed,” Binay said.

“But Senator Marcos is different from President Marcos,” he said.

Binay was a member of the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism (Mabini) which actively fought against the Marcos dictatorship. The group included former Senators Rene Saguisag and Joker Arroyo.

READ: Once upon a time, VP Binay was fearless Mabini lawyer

In previous interviews, Binay had hinted that his camp has been considering Senator Marcos as his running mate. Marcos in his interviews with the media said he was open to teaming up with the vice president.