Binay asks Aquino to protect sanctity of ballot, uphold democracy

UNA presidential candidate Jejomar Binay, together with runningmate Sen. Gringo Honasan and other UNA candidates, meets supporters in Lawton Ave., Barangay Northside, Makati City.  ELOISA LOPEZ

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday made an appeal to President Benigno Aquino III to protect the sanctity of the ballot and uphold democracy, the very legacy left behind by Aquino’s mother, the late President Cory Aquino whose administration ended the Marcos dictatorship.

In his speech during his miting de avance on Lawton Avenue in Makati, Binay urged Aquino to use his remaining days in office to ensure clean and honest elections.

“Mister President, ako po ay nakikiusap sa inyo, hindi bilang pangalawang pangulo, kundi bilang isang karaniwang Pilipino. Sana po ay gamitin ninyo ang inyong kapangyarihan bilang ama ng ating bansa upang tiyakin na malinis at mapayapa ang halalan sa darating na Lunes,” Binay said.

“Sana naman po, sa natitira ninyong araw sa Malacanang, ay gugulin ninyo ito sa pagbibigay ng isang pamana sa taumbayan, isang pamana na kikilalanin at ipagmamalaki ng ating bansa at ng ating kababayan,” he added.

Binay said the president should protect the legacy left behind by his mother Cory, the country’s democracy icon who was installed to the presidency by a people power uprising that toppled the dictatorial rule of Ferdinand Marcos, father and namesake of vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos.

“Ito ang pamana nang pagtataguyod sa demokrasya at pagkilala sa tunay na tinig sa taumbayan sa darating na halalan. Ito ang naging pamana ni Pangulong Cory Aquino. Sana naman ay ito rin ang inyong maging pamana sa taumbayan,” he added.

Binay urged the Commission on Elections to fulfill its mandate of ensuring clean and orderly elections, following reports that the testing of the vote counting machines turned out names different from the choice of the voters.

He added that the police and military should serve the electorate and not the influential politicians.

Binay told the voters that May 9 will be a day of their freedom—freedom to choose the leader the electorate believe would become the country’s next president.

“Ito ang araw na malaya kayong makakapamili. Ito ang araw na malaya kayo sa dikta, bukod lamang sa dikta ng inyong konsensya. Huwag nating isuko ang kalayaang yan, kahit sa pera, sa dikta ng mga pulitiko, o sa pananakot ng iilang maingay,” Binay said.

“Tumindig tayo at ipaglaban ang ating kalayaan,” he added.

Binay was an activist-lawyer during the Marcos regime and was co-founder of Mabini, a group of lawyers giving free legal assistance to activists, human-rights victims and political prisoners.

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