MACTAN, Cebu – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Monday admitted being hurt by accusations hurled by Sen. Grace Poe who he said is his “kumare.”
Binay called a press conference a day after the second “PiliPinas” debate at the University of the Philippines Cebu, where his rivals ganged up on him for his alleged involvement in graft and corruption.
Binay lamented that Poe appeared to be acting like an attack dog for the administration when she held Binay accountable for failing to appear in the Senate to answer the corruption allegations when he was Makati mayor.
Binay said Poe’s adoptive father, the late action star Fernando Poe Jr., even asked Binay to be the godfather of his grandchildren through Senator Grace.
He said FPJ made the request when he was serving as the latter’s campaign manager during the 2004 elections.
“Sa hindi niyo alam, kumare kong buo. Inaanak kong isang anak niya. Pero hindi naman siya ang nagsabing ako ang magiging ninong. That time campaign manager ako ni FPJ, at sabi ni FPJ pwede bang maging ninong ng apo ko. So kumare ko si Grace,” Binay said.
“Hindi ako magiging hipokrito. Talagang nagulat ako. Ang intindi ng reaction. At yung ibang pagkakataon, sumama na siya sa pagbibintang. Gumagamit ng salita dun sa demolition by perception. So nagulat ako,” Binay added.
He said he just reminded himself that the bashing he is receiving from his opponents is just part of the political campaign.
“Medyo (nasaktan ako). Pero sa loob ko na lang na pulitika ito. Ganun talaga. Yan ang malungkot na bahagi ng pulitika. Nagkakalimutan yung pinanggalingan,” Binay said.
In the press conference, Binay reiterated his insult to Poe during the debate that the senator was ashamed of being a Filipino which compelled her to renounce her Philippine citizenship.
Binay shared a story when he rejected renouncing his Filipino citizenship because he could not compel himself to turn his back on the Philippines.
“‘Yung nabasa ko yung oath of allegiance, tumaas balahibo ko. Tibak na tibak ako, sobrang pagka-Filipino ko,” Binay said.
“Mas grabe po ito. Kung tunay kang Filipino, hindi mo gagawin itong pagsumpa niya para maging Amerikano. Malawak itong oath of allegiance ha: ‘I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure’ – sa Tagalog, kinahiya mo, ayaw mong makilala ang pinagmulan mo, itinakwil ko ang kapwa mo Filipino,” Binay added.
