Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA — Vice President Jejomar Binay launched his presidential bid in Mandaluyong City, on Tuesday, among the company of his political allies from all over the country. Noticeably absent, however, was his long-time friend and tandem in the 2010 elections, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
Interestingly, instead of kicking off his presidential campaign in his bailiwick of Makati City, where his family ruled since 1986, Binay chose neighboring Mandaluyong City.
Mandaluyong City Benhur Abalos, a member of UNA, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday that his city was among the vice president’s four choices to launch his presidential bid. The other cities considered were Cebu, Cavite and Laguna.
“We’ve been able to [establish] good relations with them. We help each other whenever there are problems. I think those are the factors why we were considered,” Abalos said.
As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Senior Supt. Joaquin Alva, the Mandaluyong police chief, estimated the crowd that gathered at the UNA rally along the stretch of Fabella Road, F. Martinez Ave. and Nueve de Febrero Street at 15,000.
Mandaluyong public information chief Jimmy Isidro, however, estimated the crowd to be around 30,000.
From the crowd that gathered at the UNA rally, top of the concerns that they want Binay to address should he win the presidency are the improvement of the country’s educational system and the protection of senior citizens’ rights.
Charisse Mateo, a mother of three from Mandaluyong’s Barangay Martinez, expressed hope that her children would grow up in a country where they would not be forced to give up school because of poverty.
The 34-year-old Mateo said that she was only able to finish high school because her family encountered financial problems. She also expressed hope that her four-month-old child would have better opportunities should Binay win so that she would not “suffer the same fate as I did.” SFM
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