MANILA, Philippines – “Any time, any place.”

This was Vice President Jejomar Binay’s response to the challenge of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for a one-on-one debate on morality, graft, and corruption, following the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer’s continued attacks against the mayor.

“‘Yung debate, okay lang, any time, any place (I’m okay with the debate – any time, any place),” the Vice President told reporters in Malate, Manila on Tuesday, April 12, when asked about Duterte’s challenge to him. 

But in the same breath, Binay wondered aloud what they would debate about since he believes that Duterte himself had “admitted” to killing criminals.

“Ang tanong ko lamang: ano ang pagdedebatihan natin e inamin mo nang berdugo ka sa pagpapatay ng mahirap? Ano ang pagdedebatihin namin?” he told reporters

(My only question is: what are we going to debate about when you had already admitted that you’re an executioner of the poor? What will we debate on?) 

According to Binay, he does not see the point of engaging in a debate with Duterte on the proposed topics, since the corruption claims against him have yet to be proven while Duterte himself had supposedly “admitted” the “morality” issues against him.

“E yung graft and corruption [ay] bintang. E ‘yung morality, admitted,” said the Vice President, alluding to the public admissions of the tough-talking mayor that he had killed criminals in fighting crime in Davao City, and will do the same on a national scale if elected president. (READ: Duterte on how to fight crime: It has to be ‘bloody’)

(The accusations of graft and corruption against me are mere allegations. But he had admitted the morality [issues against him].)

“Baka mamaya style na naman, cheapy-cheapy niya ‘yun (This might just be one of his cheap tricks),” added Binay. 

‘Moral responsibility’ vs Duterte

On Tuesday, Binay met with members of the Kababaihan ng Maynila and urged them to campaign against Duterte. This time, he alleged that Duterte had no respect for women.

“Si Mr Duterte ay kandidato sa pagkapangulo, walang-wala pong respeto sa babae (Mr Duterte, a candidate for president, does not have respect for women),” the  Vice President said, drawing applause from the female audience members.  

“Kayong mga babae, kayo ay mga ina ng inyong anak….Responsibilidad po natin, that’s a moral responsibility ng bawat isa. Ano ho ‘yung responsibility na kung magtulung-tulong po tayo at ipaliwanag sa mga dapat ipaliwanag na ‘di dapat iboto si Duterte,” said Binay, echoing a similar statement he made in Caloocan City. 

(You, women, are the mother of your children. It’s our moral responsibility to help each other in explaining to others that people should not vote for Duterte.)

Duterte publicly admitted that he is a womanizer, brazenly kissing women on the campaign trail. (READ: Duterte, his 6 contradictions and planned dictatorship) 

Despite these, he has also funded projects for women, and supports women’s rights.

Binay vs Duterte, Poe, Roxas

The UNA standard-bearer stepped up his attacks against Duterte since his rival began surging in the election polls last week. 

The latest ABS-CBN and Social Weather Stations polls released this week showed Duterte grabbing solo lead in the 5-way presidential race. 

Binay has since included in his speeches that Duterte commits extrajudicial killings that also victimize women, children, and the poor. He called the Davao City mayor “berdugo na pumapatay ng mahirap (an executioner who kills the poor).”

Duterte denied his involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City, an alleged anti-crime strategy critics believe he would conduct on a national scale if he is elected president. 

In response to Binay’s tirade, Duterte called Binay a “berdugo ng pera ng tao (executioner of the people’s money)” during a rally in Taguig on Monday night.

The Vice President just laughed this off on Tuesday and criticized his rival’s use of Filipino. “Maling Tagalog ata ‘yun. ‘Yung berdugo ay pumapatay ng tao. Wala hong berdugo sa Makati, nagnanakaw. Patawarin na natin, ganun talagang managalog ‘yun e,” he said. 

(That’s the wrong way of speaking Tagalog. An executioner kills people. There is no executioner or thief in Makati. Let’s forgive him because that’s how he speaks Tagalog.)

BInay did not spare his other rivals for the presidency, though he did not name them. He took a swipe at Senator Grace Poe over her citizenship and residency issues during his speech at the Tuesday sortie – matters that had been resolved by the Supreme Court.

“Meron isang kandidato na ‘Ah! Ako rin ay marami ring karanasan.’ Oo nga, ang karanasan mo ay tumigil ka sa Amerika,” said Binay.  (There’s a candidate saying she has experience. Yes, experience of living in America.)

He scored Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, who led the interior department as well as the transportation department, for being a slow decision-maker.

“Meron naman hong isang kandidato diyan ay pamumuno ng teka-teka. Ayaw gumawa ng desisyon. ‘Yung PPP (public-private partnership) na kailangan po natin sa infrastructure requirements natin, e natapos na’t natapos ang kanyang panunungkulan ay hindi niya nadesiyunan,” said Binay.

(We have a candidate who is an indecisive leader. He does not want to make decisions. The PPP projects that we need for infrastructure did not come into fruition during his term.)  – Rappler.com