Binay camp tags Liberal Party for Sinulog boos

Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay gestures while giving a statement during a news conference on June 24, 2015 in Manila. AP FILE

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay has pointed to the Liberal Party (LP) as the source of the boos that were heard after he was introduced during the formal opening of the Sinulog Grand Parade inside the Cebu City Sports Center on Sunday.

But while Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado tagged members of the LP, a Cebu provincial officer said the contingent from the administration party was still outside the sports center when the Vice President was booed.

READ: Jojo Binay booed at Cebu Sinulog festival

“We have received reports, it (boos) came from the LP contingent,” said Salgado said in a statement.

“If this is true, it’s just unfortunate that they behaved the way they did. But we understand where they were coming from,” he added.

Salgado said that the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) knew that LP felt bad that Binay was leading in the presidential survey even in the Visayas.

“Pero kung hindi nila kayang igalang si Vice President Binay, sana man lang iginalang nila ang okasyon (If they cannot respect the Vice President, they should have respected the occasion),” he added.

READ: No campaigning, but Binay may speak, at Sinulog

Ethel Natera, information officer of the Cebu provincial government, said Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, LP standard bearer in the province, and some LP senatorial candidates were still outside the sports center when the booing happened.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, Davide’s running mate, was also on the stage with Binay at that time, she added.

Davide arrived with the Cebu province contingent long after Binay was on the stage, said Natera.

With Davide were LP senatorial candidates Joel Villanueva, Leila de Lima, and Risa Hontiveros.

Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo, LP vice presidential bet, was supposed to attend the Sinulog Grand Parade, but she canceled at the last minute due to other commitments, said Natera.

Salgado said it was not the first time that Binay joined the Sinulog Grand Parade. He said the Vice President had been attending the Sinulog since 2010.

“His presence (in the Sinulog Grand Parade) is nothing new,” he said.

Binay would be in Cebu until Monday when he was expected to attend the blessing of the Friends of Binay-United Nationalist Alliance Headquarters on Plaridel Street in Mandaue City, Cebu.