Vice President Jejomar Binay delivers his speech during the launching of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political party on Wednesday at the Makati Coliseum. Binay lambasted the Aquino administration anew and promised alternatives offered by his party. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Office of the Vice President (OVP) downplayed the survey conducted by the Makati Business Club (MBC) showing it is the worst performing agency this year.
In a statement on Friday, OVP media affairs head Joey Salgado stressed that their office serves poor Filipinos and not the rich members of the MBC.
“Kung hindi nila naramdaman ang serbisyo ng OVP, ito ay dahil may kakayanan silang magpagamot sa mga mamahaling ospital dito sa Pilipinas at sa ibang bansa. Ang marami nating kababayan, wala. Kapag sila ang may problemang ligal, kayang magbayad ng mga miyembro ng MBC ng mga mamahaling abugado. Ang mga OFWs natin at ang kanilang mga pamilya, walang ganitong kakayanan,” he said.
According to Salgado, the 67 businessmen who gave a negative score to the OVP, putting the office in the last spot among 64 government agencies, cannot represent the sentiment of the people nationwide.
“They cannot be expected to give a true and objective assessment of the performance of all government agencies, most especially the OVP,” he said, adding that that some MBC members have “long-held biases” against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his family.
The executive director of MBC was also among those present at Club Filipino when Binay’s political rival, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, was endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III, he noted.
“The MBC are the businessmen who have profited from this administration’s economic policy that embraces the rich and excludes the poor. They want to continue the inequality under an administration that is ‘pro-business,’” said Salgado.
The camp of Binay also criticized the MBC for placing the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), formerly headed by Roxas, a notch higher than the OVP.
It claimed the DOTC “is the showcase of ineptitude, incompetence and a threat to public safety, not to mention a cash cow for LP (Liberal Party) allies.”
“Apparently the MBC members are predisposed to believe every lie and gossip against the Vice President,” added Salgado.
Salgado said the OVP has the lowest budget allocation among government agencies but has managed to provide assistance to thousands of indigents who cannot afford the cost of medical care and education, and OFWs whose requests range from repatriation, assistance on salary and benefits claims, legal assistance and grievances against recruiters and agents.
“Hindi naman namin inaasahan ang pagkilala ng MBC. Ang pinaglilingkuran ng OVP ay mga mahihirap nating kababayan… Pero wala rin namang K ang mga mayayamang negosyante na maghusga sa OVP lalo na’t alam natin na pabor sila sa kandidatong magpapatuloy ng limang taon ng pagyaman ng mga mayayaman.” (MNS)