Nancy Binay hits back at criticism about sister’s condo win

 News
Feb 042014
 
People will turn anything into an issue against the Binay family.

This was Senator Nancy Binay’s response to criticism about her sister’s winning a posh condominium unit in a raffle draw at the Power Plant Mall.

“Ang kinakagulat ko kasi pati ba naman yung pagkapanalo sa raffle ginagawan ng issue?…  Siguro lesson ito sa family namin na kahit ano talaga magagawan ng issue kung gusto nila gawing issue,” the senator told reporters Tuesday.

Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay has been drawing flak online for winning a multimillion-peso unit at The Grove condominium in Pasig City. It was raffled off by Power Plant Mall, which announced that Binay was the winner last Sunday.

“Sinuwerte lang talaga na siya ‘yung nanalo… Wala namang restriction dun na kapag government official ka or anak ka ng Vice President, bawal ka na sumali sa raffle,” Sen. Binay said.

Rep. Binay also attributed her win to “sheer luck,” saying it was “not based on [her] financial status or stature as a politician.”

Sen. Binay further said that the raffle was “legitimate,” “above board” and was supervised by a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) representative.

Another Binay sibling, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay, also recently came under fire after the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported last month that he ordered the arrest of three security guards last November 30 after they supposedly prevented his convoy from passing through a restricted gate in Dasmariñas Village. — BM, GMA News

Nancy Binay: Senate minority won’t be bullied

 Entertainment
Jul 232013
 

MANILA  (Mabuhay) — Despite being in the Senate minority, Senator Nancy Binay believes she and her colleagues will not be bullied. In an ambush interview, Binay said: “With the likes of Sen. [Juan Ponce] Enrile, Sen. [Gringo] Honasan, I won’t think kaya kaming ma-bully ng majority.” Enrile became minority leader on Tuesday, during the start […]

Win now, study later: Preparing neophyte politicians for the tasks ahead

 News
Jun 232013
 
Win now, study later: Preparing neophyte politicians for the tasks ahead

How do you prepare a politician with zero experience in government for three to six years in office—and do it in less than a week? This is the challenge being faced by some institutions which offer crash courses to newly-elected local officials and lawmakers to try to prepare them for the tasks ahead. The University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), for instance, recently organized a five-day course for Senator-elect Nancy Binay. Before winning her Senate seat last elections, Binay served as personal assistant to her parents, Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay. Maynard Matammu of the UP-NCPAG’s Center for Policy and Executive Development, one of the persons who prepared Binay’s crash course, explained that the topics tackled during Binay’s course were “customized” based on the senator-elect’s preferences. “We drafted the course and met with the senator. We informed her about the specific topics per session and who the resource persons will be. We made sure that the course will touch on her priority areas and subjects that were in her platform,” Matammu said in an interview. He said the center has been organizing these courses for years as part of its “extension services” to the public. In Binay’s case, her course included introductory discussions on the Philippine administrative system, the Senate, the economy and the national budget process—all tackled in sessions that lasted for an hour and a half. The course likewise allowed Binay to have “sessions with experts” on Read More …

Enrile, Villar fail to sign expense reports; filing may be invalid, Brillantes says

 News
Jun 172013
 
Enrile, Villar fail to sign expense reports; filing may be invalid, Brillantes says

Senators-elect Bam Aquino and Cynthia Villar of the Liberal Party coalition, and defeated bet Jack Enrile of the United Nationalist Alliance, may be the early birds in filing their expenditure reports, but their submission may be considered invalid for failing to personally sign their reports.  According to their statement of contributions and expenditures (SOCEs) available at the Commission on Elections Law Department, Enrile’s SOCE was signed by a certain Juan Ramon Garcia, while Villar’s SOCE was signed by her attorney-in-fact Jane C. Ynte.  Coincidentally, Enrile and Villar are also the top two spenders based on available expenditure reports. Enrile spent P150,401,072.09 for the recently concluded elections, followed by Villar with P133,979,127.25.  Aquino’s treasurer also signed his SOCE, according to the poll body’s law department. However, Aquino just submitted a supplemental expenditure report on Monday, this time with his own signature. Aquino spent P124,327,987.81 for his campaign kitty. Defeated senatorial bet and Jesus is Lord founder Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas also failed to affix his signature in his expense report. It was signed by his attorney Jacky Silva. Villanueva filed his SOCE beyond the 5 p.m. deadline on Thursday, June 13. Signature required Poll chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. said he had received reports that some senatorial candidates did not affix their signatures on their SOCEs as required by a Comelec resolution.  “Mayroon mga nag-file raw na hindi nakapirma ang mga candidates. It is a requirement that it should be signed by the candidate,” Brillantes said.  He added that failure to Read More …

Nancy Binay takes crash course on lawmaking at UP

 News
Jun 172013
 
Nancy Binay takes crash course on lawmaking at UP

It’s back to school for Senator-elect Nancy Binay on Monday as she began a five-day course on lawmaking at the University of the Philippines (UP). Binay, a neophyte politician who placed fifth in the recent Senate polls, went along with members of her staff at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance on Monday morning for a legislative training course. “Today, I am here and I am ready to learn kung ano yun mga ins and outs diyan sa Senado,” the senator-elect said in an interview aired over GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali.” Before her Senate stint, Binay served as personal assistant to her parents, Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay. The senator-elect finished a tourism degree from UP. GMA News’ Sherrie Ann Torres reported that the legislative training course was “customized” for Binay’s needs as a senator. Aside from Binay, other first-time politicians also started taking crash courses to prepare them for their duties. Musician Lito Camo, elected a board member for the second district of Oriental Mindoro, joined some 4,000 other neophyte local government officials at the UP NCPAG on Monday in an introductory course on local lawmaking. Cavite vice governor-elect Jolo Revilla was also seen attending the UP NCPAG course. “Yung tungkol sa mga batas, gusto ko rin malaman. Alam niyo naman, musikero ako. Baka mamaya sabihin ng mga tao, hindi naman pagko-compose ang gagawin sa sangguniang panlalawigan. At least, para wala silang masabi,” Camo said in a television interview. — Andreo Read More …

Unspent campaign contributions are taxable income if not returned to donor, says Comelec chairman

 News
Jun 142013
 
Unspent campaign contributions are taxable income if not returned to donor, says Comelec chairman

Candidates may keep whatever campaign contributions they have left after the recent polls, but they would have to pay income tax, poll chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. said. The taxable income is computed by deducting total expenses from contributions. “They can keep the money but that is income. That will be subjected to tax if they don’t return it to the donor,” said Brillantes on Friday, adding that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would be assisted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue. According to available statements of election contributions and expenditures (SOCE),  Nancy Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance earned the most income at P8,174,341.68. She is followed by independent candidate Ramon Montano with an income of P5,246,175.00.  Team PNoy’s Bam Aquino comes in at third with an income of P1,165,012.19, LP Coalition’s Chiz Escudero at P746,690.90, and UNA’s Jack Enrile – the senatorial bet with the most expenses – at  P396,838.09.  Surprise frontrunner Grace Poe of Team PNoy earned P156,346.41.  So far, those who spent more than their contributions are: Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Antonio Trillanes IV, Alan Peter Cayetano, Sonny Angara, Jun Magsaysay, Jamby Madrigal, Ricardo Penson, Ernesto Maceda, Christian Seneres, Baldomero Falcone, and Eddie Vilanueva. There are still no data available to the media for the rest of senatorial bets. According to Republic Act 7166, every candidate and treasurer of a political party shall be required to file an itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures within 30 days after Election Day. The deadline was on June 13, Read More …

Expense reports show no 'overspender' in May 13 polls

 News
Jun 142013
 
Expense reports show no 'overspender' in May 13 polls

(Updated 9:13 p.m.) None of the senatorial candidates in the recently concluded elections could be considered as an “overspender” as far as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is concerned, based on latest available data. According to poll chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr., an overspender is one who spends P156 million or more during the campaign period. The Comelec, under Resolution No. 9476, gives candidates the following expense limit — P10 per registered voter for presidential and vice presidential candidates, P3 per voter for candidates with political parties, and P5 per voter for independent candidates. The Comelec has yet to make a final audit report on the expense reports. But in general, “P156 million ang maximum. 52 (million voters)  times P3 (per voter),” Brillantes noted. Meanwhile, the maximum amount for independent candidates is P260 million. There were over 52 million registered voters nationwide in the recent polls. Based on available statements of contributions and expenditures of senatorial candidates filed with the Comelec, Cayagan Rep. Jack Enrile was the one who spent the largest in the May 13 elections. Enrile, an unsuccessful candidate, spent P150,401,072.09, followed by incoming senator Cynthia Villar with P133,979,127.25, and re-elected Senator Alan Peter Cayetano with P131,044,78. Senator-elect Nancy Binay, meanwhile, placed fourth at P128,695,057.1. According to Republic Act 7166, every candidate and treasurer of a political party shall be required to file an itemized statement of all contributions and expenditures within 30 days after Election Day. The deadline was on June 13, 5 p.m. Failure to submit SOCEs is Read More …