Vice President Jejomar Binay hits back at his accusers during a televised press conference at the PICC in Pasay City on Thursday, September 18. Binay denied receiving kickbacks from the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II and from other projects in the city during his term as mayor. (MNS photo)
MANILA, Apr 21 (Mabuhay) – Makati City Rep. Mar-len Abigail Binay on Tuesday said her father is a “unifying leader” and will become a “unifying president” if elected in 2016.
The Vice President has been vocal about his plan to run for president in 2016 and said the allegations of corruption against him are all part of a plan to derail his presidential bid.
In a statement, Abi dismissed as inaccurate a newspaper report attributed to her which stated that “the Binays will not forgive their critics if Vice President Jejomar Binay gets elected to the presidency.”
Abi clarified she wasn’t speaking on her family’s behalf when she said in a television interview that she can’t forgive their critics.
She said a transcript of her interview with Pinky Webb on ANC will show that she was only speaking for herself when she answered the host’s question on whether she can forgive Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for his attacks against her family.
Abi said: “It was an emotional moment for me; I was speaking from the heart. I only expressed my true feelings about Senator Trillanes, who has been throwing baseless and malicious accusations at our family with utter disregard for due process and with reckless abandon.”
“It was my personal view, and it was not intended to reflect the sentiment of my father and that of our family,” she added.
‘Worst mudslinging’
In the interview aired last week, Webb asked Abi: “In the event he (Vice President Binay) wins as president, are you the type, is the Binay family the type who would forgive even if they don’t want to ask forgiveness?”
The congresswoman answered: “Ako hindi.”
“You can’t forgive?” Webb asked.
“No,” Abi replied. “This is the worst mudslinging and black propaganda that they’ve already done to our family. Grabe, grabe. Huwag na siyang (Trillanes) mag-apologize because at this point, it’s not even going to help lessen the hate, the pain, the suffering our own family had to go through.”
Trillanes has accused members of the Binay family of wrongdoing over the past months. He alleged that the Vice President was involved in corrupt deals and recently claimed that the elder Binay’s camp bribed two Court of Appeals justices with P20 million each to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the suspension order against incumbent Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay.
Last week, Trillanes warned Abi he would launch an investigation on her alleged misuse of her pork barrel fund.
Unifying president
Despite Trillanes’ tirades against the Binays, Abi said her father is a “unifying leader.”
“It is not his style to obliterate the work of the previous administration for the sake of politics,” she said, recalling how her father pursued and even enhanced some projects of his predecessor, former Mayor Nemesio Yabut, when he took over in 1986.
Among these projects she said is the issuance of Yellow Cards for the healthcare needs of Makati residents.
Abi advised Trillanes to exercise prudence in his statements, and present credible evidence and witnesses to back up his “very serious and damaging” allegations against the Binays.
“[Trillanes] has not only tried to destroy the reputation of my father and our family, but has also attacked the very core of the country’s judicial system as a pillar of democracy,” she said. (MNS)