Senator Gringo Honasan pays his final respect to Senator Flavier. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senator Gringo Honasan has yet to agree to United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) offer for him to be Vice President Jejomar Binay’s running mate in the 2016 elections, party president and Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco said Friday.
“He has not come back to me yet. I cannot speak for Senator Greg and I don’t want to speculate,” Tiangco said.
The UNA official said this in response to a question whether their party has received confirmation from Honasan to be Binay’s vice presidential candidate.
During the launching of UNA in vote-rich Cebu, Binay announced his tandem with Honasan. “Lalong lumalakas, lalong tumatapang, UNA na, Bingo pa,” he said, using the monicker for their tandem, a play of “Binay” and “Gringo.”
A tarpaulin was also placed in the stage indicating Honasan’s vice-presidential run, but the senator was a no-show at the event.
Tiangco said the party wasn’t expecting Honasan’s attendance in the UNA event anyway.
“In the first place, he never committed to show up in Cebu, so I don’t know why they were expecting him there,” he said.
Malacañang, for its part, reserved its comment on the “Bingo” tandem until the official announcement of Binay’s running mate.
So far, Binay will be in a four-way presidential race against administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, independent candidate Senator Grace Poe, and party-list Rep. Roy Señeres.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago are also said to be considering to run for the same post.
Meanwhile, in a media briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte shrugged off Binay’s statement that what the country needs is “daang mabilis” and not President Benigno Aquino III’s “daang matuwid.”
“Ilang beses nang sinabi ito ni Pangulong Aquino na at least ‘yung daang matuwid subok na ‘di ba? Subok na matapat ‘yung pamamahala at subok na malinis ‘yung pamamahala at sigurado tayong sa tao napupunta ‘yung benepisyo hindi ho sa bulsa ng pulitiko,” said Valte.
Binay is facing plunder and graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman over allegations of corruption during his term as mayor of Makati City.(MNS)