Binay calls for political ceasefire for holidays

As the election campaign heats up, Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday called for a ceasefire in political talk during the Christmas holidays.

In a radio interview during a visit to General Santos City on Friday, Binay, who is running for president in next year’s elections, said “even the NPA (New People’s Army) declares a ceasefire with the government. I also hope for a ceasefire in politics.”

In calling for a political ceasefire, Binay said “peace should prevail” during the Christmas season.

“My Christmas wish? Peace. First of all, our Lord Jesus Christ was born. So please, can we stop the defamation, stop all the lies, stop all the personal attacks, the divisiveness,” said Binay said in Filipino.

He addressed his message to everyone in government, saying: “From the national to local officials, if you see each other, shake hands, hug, pray together.”

Binay made the statement just as one of his family’s staunchest critics, lawyer Renato Bondal, filed yet another plunder case against his son, dismissed Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay.

Bondal filed the charges before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday, naming the younger Binay and two Information Technology companies in an P828-million complaint.

Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado called Bondal’s latest suit a “work of fiction.”

“For Mr. Bondal and his generous political sponsors, we can only pray for their enlightenment. May the Christmas season remind them the value of truth over selfish gain,” said Salgado in a text message.

Bondal has filed multiple cases against the Binays, including four against the Vice President for alleged anomalies during his time as Makati Mayor. One case alleges the illegal conversion of a government lot in Comembo, Makati into private property; the others allege the misappropriation of University of Makati funds, the overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building 2 and the conversion of government property in Fort Bonifacio.

The Binay camp has attributed the accusations to an alleged plot to smear his family’s name ahead of the 2016 elections. Binay, standard-bearer of the United Nationalist Alliance, had topped early surveys.