Binay wants to keep Boy Scouts politics-free
Vice President Jejomar Binay INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
BINMALEY, Pangasinan – Vice President Jejomar Binay does not want media coverage for his meeting with the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) to avoid the organization from being politicized.
Binay visited Pangasinan on Wednesday to preside the 60th annual council meeting of the BSP at the Sison Auditorium n Lingayen around 2 p.m. but he requested that it not be covered by the media, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party spokesperson Mon Ilagan said.
The council meeting would be attended by the council chairpersons of the BSP.
Ilagan said Binay does not want the BSP to be involved in politics because he has too personal a touch on the organization.
“Unang una kasi, nirerespeto ni VP Binay yung organisasyon ng BSP at ayaw niya mahaluan ng pulitika itong pakikipagmeeting niya o yung imbitasyon sa kanya ng BSP,” Ilagan said.
(First of all, VP Binay respects the organization of the BSP and he wants politics to play no part in this meeting or the BSP’s invitation of Binay [to the event].)
Ilagan said Binay does not even want to be interviewed by the media while wearing the BSP uniform.
Ilagan said Binay has a personal relationship with the BSP that goes beyond politics.
“Bilang isang organisasyon, sinasabi natin na malayo pagdating sa usaping pulitika ang relasyon ni Vice President. It’s too personal, malapit lang talaga siya,” Ilagan said.
(As an organization, the Vice President’s relationship [with the BSP] is far from political. It’s too personal, he is just really attached to the organization.)
He said Binay espouses the values of hard work and credibility in the BSP which he wants to espouse also for the country as its next president.
“He’s a hands-on manager. Nakikita natin dito yung values na binibigay. ‘Yung kanyang sipag at kredibilad sa pagtatrabaho sa BSP ay ganun din ang kanyang vision para sa ating bansa,” Ilagan said.
(He’s a hands-on manager. We can glean from here the values that emanate. His perseverance and credibility in working at the BSP is also his vision for our country.)
Binay is the longest-serving BSP president. He was elected president of the organization from 1994 to 1996, from 1998 to 2000 and again in 2001 up to the present.
READ: Binay got P200M in Boy Scouts land deal–Mercado
The BSP was also the subject of a Senate investigation when Binay’s former vice mayor Ernesto Mercado accused Binay of receiving P200 million in kickbacks from a land deal between the BSP and Alphaland for the development of a one-hectare prime property in Makati.
Mercado has also filed a plunder complaint with the Ombudsman against Binay over the allegedly anomalous deal where the BSP allegedly did not yet receive its share from the development.
READ: Mercado files plunder complaint vs Binay over BSP-Alphaland deal
Mercado had also said Binay used the BSP-Alphaland deal to bankroll his vice presidential bid in 2010.
READ: Binay used Boy Scout land deal to fund 2010 poll campaign—Mercado
Ilagan said Binay’s decades-long presidency in the BSP is legal despite holding the vice president position.
Binay’s service as BSP president while serving as vice president was questioned before the Supreme Court by lawyer Jesus Falcis who said the 1987 Constitution expressly prohibits an elected president or vice president to hold any other office or employment during their tenure in government.
Binay’s camp had said that his position was voluntary by nature and he does not receive compensation.
“Nagbigay na ng posisyon ang BSP na ang kanyang pwesto bilang presidente ay legal and constitutional at ito ay sinusuportahan ng majority (ng council members),” Ilagan said.
(The BSP has already given their position that his post as president is legal and constitutional and that it is supported by majority [of council members].) CDG
READ: SC asked to remove Binay from BSP
