Suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay cover his father Vice President Jojo Binay from the media during the opening of UNA headquarter in Mandaue City, Cebu. CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO
LIBERAL Party (LP) coalition spokesperson Barry Gutierrez on Monday said the booing incident against Jejomar Binay during the Sinulog festival in Cebu is only a foretaste of the public outrage against the Vice President over his alleged involvement in corruption.
In a press conference, Gutierrez, who is also Akbayan representative, said the Cebuanos, who are generally kind and patient people, must have been angry at Binay and the latter’s presence at the festival might have instigated the “Ce-boo” incident.
READ: Jojo Binay booed at Cebu Sinulog festival
“Ito ang simula ng pagbugso ng damdamin ng mga tao. Marami akong kilalang mga Cebuano, pagkakilala ko sa kanila ay mabait, patient at masayahing mga tao. Hindi ito gagawa ng ganun kung hindi maliwanag na may galit na nararamdaman,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said Binay must have been booed because of his refusal to face the Senate probe on the allegations of pay-offs and rigging of contracts for various infrastructure projects when the latter was Makati mayor.
He added that Binay could expect more booing from disgruntled people.
Gutierrez also denied the Binay camp’s accusation that it was a small contingent from the LP which booed Binay.
“Ang malinaw dun, ito ay mga ordinaryong Pilipino na pinakita kung ano ang kanilang opinyon kay Vice President at ano ang kanilang tingin sa paulit-ulit na pag-iwas ni Vice President sa akusasyong korapsyon laban sa kaniya,” Gutierrez said.
“Foretaste pa lang yung Cebu incident dun sa haharapin ni Vice President Binay sa mga darating na mga buwan papuntang eleksyon,” he added.
Gutierrez said the Binay camp is blaming the LP because it considers the administration bet Mar Roxas as Binay’s closest rival despite Roxas’ dismal survey ratings.
READ: Binay camp tags Liberal Party for Sinulog boos
The booing incident on Sunday supposedly compelled Binay to cut short his speech after he was introduced by suspended Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama.
In a statement, Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado said the LP should have at least respected the occasion.
“We have received reports, it (boos) came from the LP contingent… 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),” Salgado said.
Binay has regained his lead in the latest voters’ preference surveys even as he faces graft indictment before the Office of 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, when he was Makati mayor.
The Ombudsman has approved the filing of four counts of violation of Section 3 (e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act No. 3019, six counts of Falsification of Public Documents and one count of Malversation for his involvement in phases 1 and 2 of the carpark project.
Because Binay has immunity as an impeachable officer, the Ombudsman is set to file the charges after his term ends.
Binay also 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 Alphaland and the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, where Binay is long-running President.
READ: Ombudsman finds probable cause to charge VP Binay with graft
Binay has said the corruption allegations against him were intended to derail his presidential bid.
READ: Binay appeals graft indictment, says it’s meant to ruin 2016 run