Binay vows to find way around SC ban on pork

Philippine Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay. AP FILE PHOTO

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday vowed to empower local government officials and revisit the Supreme Court ruling that prohibits the use of the pork barrel should he win the presidency in 2016.

He said he would also push for a one-year moratorium on the filing of cases against election candidates so they would not fear running for office.

Binay made these pronouncements in an address to members of the National Unity Party (NUP) on the invitation of former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, NUP secretary, who also invited Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas and Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to speak at the party convention.

In his speech, Binay said he had always wanted to become President and had prepared well for it.

He said he went to good schools like the University of the Philippines, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree, major in Political Science, and later a Bachelor of Laws degree, as well as Harvard University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where he took up certificate courses.

The Vice President bragged about his performance as mayor of Makati for over two decades, particularly the city government’s programs to provide good service to its constituents.

“We have the tallest city hall in the entire Philippines. Our city hall has 22 floors. And all our structures are of quality. That is the kind of governance I’ve done in Makati,” Binay said.

He said he was an “innovator” and had “executive ability.”

He said that in a Binay administration, local government officials would experience true decentralization and local autonomy in accordance with the law.

He promised to revisit the internal revenue allotment allocated by the national government to local government units, with rich LGUs giving part of their share to their poorer counterparts.

Barangay (village) officials will receive a regular salary instead of only allowances and honoraria, he said.

Binay said he would create a committee to study how members of Congress could provide immediate financial aid to needy constituents such as victims of calamities, as the Supreme Court had ruled against use of the pork barrel for this purpose.

“I think we have to research on the effects of the unconstitutional parts of the Supreme Court decision,” he said, in reference to the high court ruling that declared some parts of the Priority Development Assistance Fund unconstitutional.