Solon reminds Binay: There’s no forever in public service

An administration solon reminded Vice President Jejomar Binay that even in serving in government, there is no forever. Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo on Friday said the term limits in the Constitution are meant to prevent abuse in office.

“Hindi naman pwede sa lahat ng bagay, forevermore,” Romulo said.

He said the Constitutional limits were in place in the charter “to regain the trust of Filipinos in our political structure and to avoid or minimize abuse in office.”

“At this point, the risks of unlimited terms outweighs the benefits. Maraming magagaling at matitinong Pilipino na puedeng mamuno. Ang kailangan
ay pagkakataon para sa nakararaming Pilipino,” Romulo said.

Cibac representative Sherwin Tugna said Binay’s proposal is dangerous especially in the hands of a dictator.

“VP Binay’s view allowing lifting of the term limits is a libertarian view (because there is no restriction to run for public office) that is full of danger, especially when the position and power is in the hands of a dictator or those who view a seat in public office as a personal throne,” Tugna said.

Liberal Party official and Iloilo city Representative Jerry Treñas said “we should allow new blood to come in so that there will be new ideas.”

Meanwhile, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo said lifting the term limits would “destroy all our gains to institute mechanisms against perpetuation to power of abusive government officials.”

In an address to local officials in Bacolod city on Thursday, Binay said an official should be allowed to run several tines as long as he or she gets the voters’ support.

Binay served as Makati mayor for 20 years from 1988 to 1998 and 2001 to 2010 before he was elected Vice President.

The 1987 Constitution states that the President is not eligible for reelection after a six-year term. It also says the Vice President is not eligible to run for more than two successive terms.

For his part, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, president of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, refused to comment, saying he has yet to talk to the Vice President.

Binay has expressed his intention to run for president in 2016 amid allegations of corruption and rigged bidding in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II and the Makati Science Highschool building when he was mayor.

Binay is also bracing himself for the outcome of a series of negotiations between President Benigno Aquino III and his supposed choices for successor
in 2016 – the unpopular Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the neophyte but popular Senator Grace Poe, and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. AU