SENATOR Nancy Binay on Wednesday clarified a viral video of her father Vice President Jejomar Binay giving away cash to Makati residents.
During a campaign sortie in Tanauan, Batangas on Wednesday, Sen. Binay was asked about a viral video on Facebook that was uploaded by R Breezy.
The video showed the vice president seated at a table handing out cash to each person who came to the table.
The video has garnered 3.6 million views and over 112,000 shares.
Sen. Binay said the video was not shot during the campaign period, belying criticisms that the Vice President was resorting to vote-buying, an offense under the Omnibus Election Code punishable with a one to six-year imprisonment and a disqualification from public office.
She said the video showed her father giving out “aguinaldo” or cash during Christmas sometime in 2010 or 2011 at their residence in San Antonio Village, Makati.
The cash given ranged from P20 to P50.
Sen. Binay said she was not surprised the video surfaced in the midst of the campaign period.
“Matagal na ‘yung video, siguro mga 2010, 2011 ‘yung video. But last Christmas, I posted ‘yung mga nakaabang na ang ating mga kababayan na gustong bumati sa kanya ng ‘Maligayang Pasko.’ So, yearly tradition namin iyan na magbigay ng ligaya,” Sen. Binay said.
“Nakakalungkot dahil lahat na lang ginagawa ng ating Vice President Binay para mapaligaya, para mapaginhawa ‘yung buhay ng ating mga kababayan, pilit nilang nilalagyan ng masamang kulay. Hindi ba’t practice natin iyan every Christmas na gift-giving and receiving,” she added.
Sen. Binay said the cash given to indigents came from the family’s own pockets.
Vice President Binay, the presidential candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance, recently urged voters to accept money from politicians even during the campaign season.
READ: Binay tells voters: Take money from politicians