Roxas recites Boy Scout oath in apparent swipe at ex-BSP head Binay

LAPU LAPU CITY, Cebu—A boy scout, above all the qualities he needs to possess, should be trustworthy, according to Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas—an apparent swipe at his rival Vice President Jejomar Binay.

In an ambush interview on Thursday at a shipbuilding company in Mactan here, Roxas recited the oath of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) without faltering: “Ang Boy Scouts, trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean, reverent … Ang pinaka-una diyan ay trustworthy. Ibig sabihin, pinagkakatiwalaan. Karapat-dapat na pagkatiwalaan.”

Binay, former BSP national president who had served for almost 20 years, had been accused by the organization’s former officers of using its funds for his presidential campaign.

It wasn’t clear if Roxas became a member of the BSP when he was younger but when a reporter asked how long it took him to memorize the oath, he said, “Hey, excuse me!  Naka-short pants pa lang ako sinasabi ko na ‘yan!” and laughed.

Before reciting the oath, Roxas shared how he would adhere to the principles of the “Daang Matuwid (straight path)” while asking for the support of religious groups, whose bloc voting system usually translated to a sure win in the elections.

“Palagay ko yung mga religious leaders ay gusto rin nila yung matuwid. Nasa pananampalataya sila. Wala naman akong alam na pananampalataya o relihiyon na nagtataguyod ng kabaluktutan,” he said.

The Vice President, Roxas’ longtime political nemesis, and his son dismissed Makati Mayor Junjun Binay have been embroiled in a corruption controversy after being accused of involvement in the construction of the overpriced Makati City Hall Building II. The Binays have been summoned several times in the Senate but are still yet to show up.

Roxas and administration vice presidential bet Leni Robredo are campaigning in Cebu where the former won by a landslide against Binay in the 2010 elections.