SAN RAFAEL, Bulacan — Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday expressed confidence he would beat Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas, whom Binay criticized for his performance as Cabinet secretary and his dismal ratings in the surveys.
During his campaign sortie at a packed San Rafael auditorium near the municipal hall, Binay chided Roxas for remaining at the fourth place in the voters’ preference polls where Binay is leading.
“Nagsimula ako na two percent, yung kalaban ko noon na kalaban ko rin ngayon… tinalo ko. Paano ka naman sasama sa ganun? Ang dapat kasama sa panalo, hindi tayo pwedeng sumama sa talo,” Binay said, rousing cheers from the audience.
“Kung ako, puro puro sa number one, (ang kalaban ko) puro puro sa number four; paano tayo matatalo?” Binay added.
According to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted Feb. 5 to 7 among 1,200 respondents, Binay’s survey ratings dipped to 29 percent from 31 percent in January.
Despite the dip, Binay remains the frontrunner, with Davao city mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Grace Poe statistically tied at 24 percent. Duterte’s ratings increased from 20 percent in January, while Poe ratings remain flat.
Trailing behind is Roxas, who got 18 percent from 21 percent in January. Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam Santiago only got four percent of respondents, from three percent in January.
‘Yolanda,’ MRT-3 debacle
Binay also chided Roxas’ handling of the government response to the onslaught of Supertyphoon Yolanda when he was Interior secretary, and his handling of the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) when he was Transportation secretary.
He said the slow government response during Yolanda would not happen in a Binay administration.
“Ang dami ko nang karanasan sa mga krisis. Hindi na manyayari ang Yolanda; yung Yolanda hanggang ngayon, tatlong taon na ‘di pa nabubuo, pero andyan ang pera, na budget na,” Binay said.
Binay again hit Roxas for being a bumbling (“palpak”) secretary in the Departments of Transportation and Communications, Interior and Local Government, and Trade and Industry under three administrations.
Binay said commuters endure the hardship of riding the MRT.
“Yung kanilang kandidato may karanasan daw dahil naging secretary ng DILG, naging secretary ng DOTC. Huwag ho kayong sasakay ng MRT baka mapasama kayo dun sa namamatay sa nerbyos… Huwag kayo sasakay sa MRT na pinamumunuan ng kandidatong ito, pagpasok mo ang bango mo, paglabas mo amoy lupa ka na,” Binay said.
“Anong pinagmamalaki nito, secretary ng DTI, palpak. Naging secretary ng DOTC, mas palpak. Naging secretary ng DILG, kapalpak-palpakan,” Binay said, drawing jeers from the crowd.
