— Vice President Jejomar Binay files separate libel complaints against Senator Antonio Trillanes and former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado before the Makati Regional Trial Court on Thursday. The raps pertain to claims made by Trillanes and Mercado in connection with city’s Senior Citizens program and a Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) deal with Alphaland. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday denied having anything to do with the fake P500 bills bearing the face of his rival, outgoing Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II that were sent to some journalists this week.
“Huwag mo namang ituro sa akin ‘yan. Ikaw naman. Susmaryosep (Don’t blame me. My goodness)!” Binay said in an interview in Manila.
The Vice President admitted though that the text printed at the back of the fake money: “Salapi pa more! Ibulsa ang pera, iboto ang kursonada (More cash! Keep the money, but vote for your preferred candidate)” was the same line that he uttered in the past.
“Nakapagbitaw ako ng salita na lagi ko namang sinasabi ‘yon tuwing halalan. Mayor pa ako, sinasabi ko na, kasi ‘yong kalaban namin noon, talagang ang pinagmamalaki at inaasahan niyang mananalo siya dahil sa pera so naging byword namin sa Makati ‘yan,” he explained.
(I have been saying that every election. Ever since I was a mayor, I would utter those words already because my opponent then was confident that he would win because of money, so it became our byword in Makati.)
“E ngayon, mukhang gano’n na naman ang mangyayari kaya nakakapag-ulit ako nang sinasabi ko. Pero huwag mo akong ididikit do’n sa [‘fake money’].”
(It looks like the same thing will happen now, so I have been uttering those words again. But don’t blame me for it.)
“Alam mo, ‘yon ay ginagawa nila para ituro sa akin. Sabagay, wala namang masama. Totoo namang kailangan ‘yon para hindi naman ho nakakahiya sa nagbibigay,” he further said.
(They are doing that and putting the blame on me. I guess there is nothing wrong (when you accept the money and still vote for your preferred candidate) so as not to embarrass the one giving it.)
Binay then reiterated his advice to voters to accept money that will be offered by vote buyers but they should still elect their preferred candidates.
Asked if the fake money was the handiwork of his political opponents, the Vice President simply said: “You have to expect more.”
“Lalong sumama at lalong dumumi ang pulitika (Politics is becoming more vile and dirtier),” Binay added.
Roxas earlier pointed to his detractors as the ones behind the fake money as he urged the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to look into it. (MNS)