Makati Representative Abigail Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
Will Makati Representative Abigail Binay join her older sister Nancy Binay in Senate?
Don’t count on it.
Rep. Binay on Thursday said she has no intentions of running for senator in the 2016 elections.
However, Binay, who is now serving her third and final term at the House of Representatives, said she has “other options.”
“I’m not considering running for the Senate. You’ve asked me that question several times,” Binay said in an interview with ABS-CBN late-night newscast Bandila.
“Hindi ako tatakbo talaga. Kung senador lang, hindi ako tatakbo. Ayaw ko du’n eh (I am really not going to run. If for senator only, I won’t run. I don’t like it there),” she added.
Citing respect for privacy, Binay said she is not yet ready to face the consequences that being elected to the Congress’ upper chamber entails.
“I just don’t like the Senate. I don’t like being a senator. I respect my privacy; I like my, alam mo ‘yung the sacrifices that I have to make to be a senator, parang hindi ko pa kaya (I don’t think I’ll be able to do the sacrifices that I have to make as a senator),” she said.
In the program’s “Yes or No” segment, Binay also said she will not be able to forgive Senators Antonio Trillanes and Alan Peter Cayetano, who led the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe over corruption allegations against her father.
Trillanes also accused the younger Binay of channeling a portion of her pork barrel funds to a Makati City official.
“Hindi ako plastic, sorry ah. [Si Sen. Koko Pimentel] try ko (I am sorry, I am not plastic. I will try),” she said.
‘Many options’
Asked about her political plans next year, Binay said she will pursue whatever will benefit her father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, who will run for president.
“Walang plano. Siguro ang tamang sagot, kung ano ‘yung makakatulong sa aking ama. Hindi ko alam eh kasi at this point there are so many options I can get into; I can decide not to run. Pwede rin akong tumakbo,” the lawmaker said.
(I have no plans yet. Maybe the right answer is whatever will benefit my father. I don’t know at this point because there are many options I can get into; I can decide not to run. I can also run.)
The younger Binay added that she has until before the filing of candidacy to decide which track she will take in next year’s polls.
“So at this point ‘di hanggang October 16 naman may time to decide kung ano ang gusto kong pasukin. Pero kung ano ‘yung makakatulong sa daddy ko ‘yun ‘yung papasukin ko,” Binay stressed.
(So at this point, I have until October 16 to decide what option I am going to take. I will go for whatever will help my dad.) Yuji Vincent Gonzales/IDL
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