Senator Gringo Honasan pays his final respect to Senator Flavier. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II on Tuesday said he is sad, but excited about his vice presidential run in 2016.
Honasan said he was reluctant to accept his nomination as vice presidential candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance because he was already thinking of retiring after his term as senator ends in 2019.
“Well, reluctant talaga ako dahil 2019 magre-retire na ako eh. Lima na ang apo ko, so I was looking forward to that,” he said.
He said that unlike the previous years, he consulted with his family before accepting UNA’s nomination.
“Ang una kong kailangan harapin at kuminsihin, ang pamilya ko. Masyadong maraming pagkakataon na ginawa ko ang nararapat gawin bilang duty, nang hindi ako nagpapaalam sa kanila. Ngayon hindi ko na maaaring ihiwalay ang pagmamahal ko sa pamilya ko at pagmamahal ko sa bayan,” Honasan said.
He said the decision to run for vice president was “agonizing.”
“Talagang nagdurugo ang puso ko. So ngayon hindi pa rin ako masaya, pero excited ako dahil mayroon pa ring pagkakataon at puwang na sa huling pagkakataon ay tumayo ako sa pambansang entablado at humarap sa taumbayan,” he added.
Honasan, meanwhile, clarified that Binay did not convince him to be his running mate.
“Hindi naman si VP ang nagkumbinsi sa akin eh. May selection commitee ang UNA,” he said.
He added that as vice president of the party, he has a duty to accept the selection committee’s decision.
“Tungkulin ko bilang bise presidente ng UNA, isang partido na tumutulong ako ngayon para i-organisa na i-consider seriously ang desisyon na ito,” he said.
“Ngayon kung pabayaan ko ang standard bearer ng UNA na tumakbong walang running mate, ang kakahinatnan niyan ay magre-resign ako sa partido na tinutulungan kong buuin.”
Asked about the allegations of corruption against Binay, Honasan cited due process.
“Meron tayong due process. Hindi maaaring mob rule ito. Kaya nga meron tayong korte. Kung itabi natin iyan, at umasa tayo sa perception at survey, at mawalang galang na sa inyo, sa media, ano pa ang katuturan ng ating demokrasya?” he said.
“Hangga’t hindi napapatunayan sa korte, kahit sinoman, hindi ako dapat humusga,” he added.
He said that if Binay is found guilty, he will respect the court’s decision.
Binay is facing graft charges over the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall parking building.
The vice president is also facing preliminary investigation by the Ombudsman over the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati Science High School.
Meanwhile, Honasan said that he and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile have been able to talk about the latter’s throwing of support to Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who declared over the weekend his intention to run for vice president in next year’s elections.
“Sabi nga niya na wala siyang kamalaymalay na magdedesisyon ako na tumakbo bilang bise presidente,” Honasan said.
Enrile was one of those who raised the hands of Marcos after his official announcement that he is running for vice president.
On Monday, Enrile declined to say who between Marcos and Honasan will he support in the coming elections.
Honasan served as Enrile’s chief security officer when the latter was defense minister during the administration of Bongbong’s father, the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos.
Enrile and Honasan were among the principal players of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution which toppled the Marcos’ dictatorship.(MNS)