Binay suits Aquino’s criteria for successor – spokesman

MANILA, Philippines – Now that President Benigno Aquino III has made it clear that a second term is not an option for him, it’s time to talk about the candidate he will endorse.

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay welcomed the statement of Aquino ruling out initiatives for a re-election bid and – in spite of allegations of corruption raised against him by critics – said Binay fulfills the criteria that Aquino set for his successor.

Aquino, in a speech on Tuesday, October 28, said that for the country to sustain its economic growth, it has to vote for the “right candidate.”

The President, without giving names, then made an appeal to the public: “If I can ask you also to discern properly as to whom is extolling populist sentiments with no substance, as opposed to those [who] not only says the right things but whom you can trust to deliver the same. And at the end of the day, again I have to reemphasize. this is really a collective effort.” 

Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla, the Vice President’s spokesperson for political affairs, said Binay’s “solid record of actual performance” is a testament to his ability to “deliver what he promises.”

Remulla said: “We fully agree with [the President] that his successor should be someone you can trust to deliver what he promises. Such trust can be earned only with a solid record of actual performance.”

He added: “Over and above all the present noise about Senate inquiries and upcoming debates, it is Vice President Jojo Binay who has made available for public inspection his record of legal activism and public service over half a century, no less transparently than his declaration to seek the presidency right from the start.”

The Senate probe into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II has exposed questionable transactions in Makati City when Binay was mayor. The Senate probe hurt Binay’s image and cost him significant points in presidential polls.  

Binay earlier admitted he is seeking the endorsement of Aquino.

Aquino shocked political observers in August when he expressed openness to constitutional amendments to address concerns over” judicial overreach” and to allow him a possible second term in office.

“We are glad that the President has reaffirmed his deference to his late mother’s Freedom Constitution by categorically ruling out charter change that would have allowed him to seek a second term,” Remulla said.

Binay himself has stepped up attacks against the presumptive administration presidential candidate, Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, accusing him to be behind a demolition job against him and calling him a “hypocrite” for refusing to admit his 2016 plans. 

This is a message repeatedly echoed by the Binay camp. “The Vice President does not need to be coy about his past record or his future intentions. Unlike others, he has nothing to hide from our people,” Remulla said in the statement. – Rappler.com