MANILA, Philippines – Senator Nancy Binay on Tuesday, December 11, called out presidential son Paolo Duterte for releasing an unvalidated list of alleged destabilizers which, she said, reflected the “sorry state” of intelligence-gathering in the country.

Binay made the statement a few days after the former Davao City vice mayor posted on his Facebook page a list of people, groups, and businesses allegedly behind an ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte. It included the senator’s father, former vice president Jejomar Binay.

Binay slammed the “misinformation and disinformation” spread by the list, which had been shared by mostly pro-administration social media pages and sites. (READ: What do Leni Robredo and Jollibee have in common?) 

“The information was not accurate nor validated. It’s painfully evident that basic intel is lacking at present. The supposed list in connection with the alleged destabilization plot against the President reflects the sorry state of state intelligence, and the handicap of our intelligence and counterintelligence structures,” she said.

BInay said she would ask her fellow senators to increase the budget of the agency that gave the information to Paolo Duterte.

“Naaawa ako doon sa agency na nagbigay ng intel report kay vice mayor. Sa tingin ko, kailangan silang tulungan para mai-improve naman ang kanilang level of intel capabilities. Kapag kasama na si Jollibee, McDonald’s at mutants sa destabilization plot, it’s a cause for alarm. It means our country is already in grave danger,” Binay said in a statement.

(I feel sorry for the agency that gave the intel report to the former vice mayor. I think they need help so they can improve their level of intel capabilities. If Jollibee, McDonald’s. and mutants are already part of the destabilization plot, it’s a cause for alarm. It means our country is already in grave danger.)

Aside from Jollibee Food Corporation, Paolo Duterte’s list also had a section for “mutant/cause oriented groups” – either a pun on “militant” or due to carelessness.

“The awkward question: Ano ba talaga, kuya? Diliman ba o dilawan? Kasama nga ba si Jollibee, Ronald, Hetty, at Padawan (What is it really? Diliman or yellow fans? Are Jollibee, Ronald, Hetty, and Padawan really part of the ouster plot)?” she added, referring to fast-food characters and the Jedi apprentice.

Binay said there should be accountability. If the agency involved is already receiving a big budget, then it might be time to realign funds to an office that actually benefits the people.

“Clearly, meron misinformation and disinformation. Sa ibang bansa, accountability is a serious matter. Kung kaya, gusto namin malaman kung anong agency ang nagrelease ng intel para matingnan namin kung kailangan dagdagan ang kanilang budget to improve their infrastructure and logistics,” she said.

(Clearly there was misinformation and disinformation. In other countries, accountability is a serious matter. That is why we want to know which agency released the intel so we can check if they need more budget to improve their infrastructure and logistics.)

“Pero kung malaki na ang budget nila and their ineptness is obvious, perhaps we need to cut down their budget at ilagay na lang ang pondo sa mas may pakinabang ang taumbayan (But if the agency is already getting high budget and their ineptness is obvious, perhaps we need to cut down their budget and realign the funds to an agency that can benefit the public),” she added.

The list included Vice President Leni Robredo as the “leader of the united opposition,” media personalities, restaurants, small hotels, corporatins, Catholic bishops including Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, who died weeks before the 2016 elections; and Duterte supporter Carmen Pedrosa.

Memes involving fast-food characters have since gone viral following Paolo Duterte’s unverified claims. – Rappler.com