Binay on Duterte: A credible candidate, least snob among other bets

VICE President Jejomar Binay called Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte a credible candidate and the least snob among all other presidential aspirants in the 2016 elections.

“Kaibigan ko naman yan. Madalas din naman ako makapunta sa Davao at nagkakasama kami sa ilang social occasion,” Binay said at the sidelines of the 27th Pacific Insurance Conference in Makati City on Monday.

“Basta Mayor Duterte is a qualified candidate for president,” he added.

Binay said at least Duterte is not a snob to him unlike other presidential bets. He did not name these.

“May ibang kandidato na  nang-iisnab, di ba? Basta sa politics in general parang meron mga hindi mamansin talaga,” Binay said.

Binay had received criticisms from all other presidential bets, particularly Mar Roxas and Grace Poe, over his alleged corruption in Makati when he was mayor. Poe signed the draft report recommending plunder charges against Binay that was prepared by the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee, which led an investigation of Binay. Senator Miriam Santiago, another presidential bet, urged Binay to appear in the Senate hearing if he is not guilty of the accusations.

READ: Roxas fires back at Binay, twits VP about corruption allegations | Roxas on Binay run: Filipinos are smart voters | Poe signed Senate panel draft report backing raps vs Binays—Pimentel | Poe lashes back at Binay: Country needs honest leaders | Santiago: ‘What is Binay afraid of?’

Binay said he would not mind if some of his allies would jump ship to support Duterte’s bid. “Kapag nahaharap ka sa reality ng pulitika, hindi ka dapat masaktan. Nangyayari talaga yan,” Binay said.

Binay also lauded Saragani congressman and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao for sticking it out with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), despite Duterte’s declaration for president.

Pacquiao vowed to be with Binay’s side despite the presidential bid of a friend and fellow Mindanaoan Duterte. He even said he would retire from boxing so that he could focus on his job should he win as senator. Pacquiao is a top absentee in Congress.

READ: Sorry Duterte, Pacquiao sticking with Binay | If elected senator, Pacquiao vows to give up one of other careers

“Doon nakita na itong si congressman Manny Pacquiao ay talagang tunay (na tao). Kaya naman siya ay talagang mahal na mahal ng kanyang mga kababayan,” Binay said.

Binay and Duterte, now both presidential aspirants, share a common history of serving as longtime mayors. Binay was appointed Makati mayor in 1986, and was elected to the position from 1988 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010. Meanwhile, Duterte was mayor of Davao city from 1988 to 1998 and then from 2001 to 2010. He was reelected in 2013.

Binay had expressed dismay that Duterte initially refused to file his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the president during the filing before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in October. Duterte had said he would rather retire from politics.

A little over a month later, Duterte backtracked and announced his presidential bid. He submitted his COC before the Comelec through a representative. He submitted his bid after Martin Diño, then the standard-bearer of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) withdrew amid a petition to declare him a nuisance candidate.

According to his platform of government he submitted before the Comelec, PDP Laban bet Duterte plans to reduce crime, eliminate drugs, implement a federal form of government, among others.

READ: Duterte makes presidential bid official, files COC | Duterte’s 2016 bid by substitution a ‘bad precedent,’ solon says | Laguna solon finds Duterte ‘overrated,’ says he can do better

Duterte said he was convinced to run following the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s decision junking the disqualification case against presidential bet Senator Grace Poe and declaring her a natural-born citizen.

Duterte’s running mate is Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. The PDP-Laban endorsed the two as the party’s standard bearers on Monday.

READ: IT’S OFFICIAL: Duterte, Cayetano team up for 2016 | PDP-Laban officially proclaims Duterte-Cayetano as its presidential, VP bets

While he was hailed for his anti-crime crusade, Duterte had been linked to the Davao Death Squad, an alleged assassins’ gang purportedly responsible for the deaths of 1,000 suspected criminals in the city since Duterte became mayor in 1988.

“They say I am the death squad? True, that is true,” Duterte once said in a television interview admitting his ties to the alleged hitman group.

Former Justice Secretary and now senatorial bet Leila De Lima had said the government has a former hitman as a witness against Duterte over the Davao Death Squad.

The New York City-based Human Rights Watch had urged government to investigate Duterte, who earlier said the secret to keeping Davao city safe is to “kill them all (the criminals).”

READ: De Lima: Duterte must be held criminally liable for ties with Davao Death Squad | Duterte confirms ‘ties’ with Davao Death Squad | Human rights group: Gov’t should probe alleged Duterte role in extrajudicial killings | Duterte on criminals: ‘Kill all of them’

Meanwhile, Binay faces graft indictment before the Ombudsman for allegedly rigging the procurement for the design and construction of the P2.28 billion Makati City Hall Building II, deemed the country’s expensive  car park building.

Besides this, Binay faces four other plunder and graft complaints before the Ombudsman over the alleged anomalies involving the Makati Science High School Building, University of Makati, a Fort Bonifacio property, and over an allegedly anomalous land deal between the Alphaland and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, where Binay is long-running President. Binay decried political harassment by his detractors in the allegations.

READ: Ombudsman finds probable cause to charge VP Binay with graft | Binay appeals graft indictment, says it’s meant to ruin 2016 run | Probers of Makati Science High building recommend graft raps vs Binay | VP Binay, son Junjun face graft, plunder raps over UMak deal | Binay faces 4th plunder complaint over illegal Army lot property | Mercado files plunder complaint vs Binay over BSP-Alphaland deal