Questionable and Self-serving Accomplishments of the Binays

…and the desperate quest of Vice-President Jejomar Binay to become President

By Apolinario Villalobos

The picture is clear now that Vice-President Jejomar Binay really had a grand plan ever since, to become president of the Philippines. His humble beginnings could have played a vital role for this quest, as Filipinos have the penchant to favor underdogs, however, he committed the grave mistake of going beyond the limits of tolerable abuse that the Filipinos can take.

From being a humble husband of a struggling doctora, he became Vice-Mayor and worked his way up to become Mayor of the then, fast-developing commercial hub of Metro Manila – Makati. Physically, observers say that he does not have the factor that can make a man standout in the crowd – not good looking, dark-skinned and short. But this handicap was overshadowed by shrewdness which shaken up constituents in Makati used to believe was an inherent benevolence of a man who, long ago was poor, and who derived extra income from a backyard piggery. They thought he was generous at heart with all the projects that were supposed to benefit the poor of Makati. Unfortunately, cases filed against him, are alleging that those projects were concocted for fat commissions.

The people of Makati clearly tolerated him despite floating stories about commissions derived from projects. From cakes given to senior citizens during their birthdays and hospital equipment, commissionable ventures soon grew into infra-structures. The Binays tried to maintain their clout on Makati, as after the father, the wife took over, and lately, the son. Ongoing cases are still being heard on these.

But when the elder Binay became Vice-President and shamelessly floated the idea of his running as President of the country while only barely a year in his position, eyebrows began to rise. It was again a mistake on his part, perhaps due to uncontrolled enthusiasm. In all honesty, he seems to believe, that he should be credited for the development of Makati into what it is now. Unfortunately, his basis for his “success” is the bustling business district of Ayala only. He did not throw a glance at the other nooks of Makati where squatters still thrive along river banks, street corners dumped with uncollected garbage, streets pockmarked with holes, etc. He thought that only the Ayala district is Makati City. He forgot that the real “developers” of the Ayala district are the Ayalas, themselves, and their trusted industrial buddies. He was a salaried mayor and expected to work for Makati to the best of his ability. But what he did, according to investigators of his graft cases, was “milked” Makati for his own selfish motives, which as of late have been exposed, with presidency of the country as the centerpiece!

He has been going around the country as far as Mindanao and Visayas. In the guise of doing his job as housing czar of the administration, he visits cities and municipalities that lately have been exposed as “sister municipalities or cities” of Makati. The number of Makati’s sister LGUs has unbelievably soared with unprecedented pace during his incumbency as mayor. A simple analysis would show that, that early on, he had been tying friendly knots with prospective supporters that he would need when the time comes for him to run for president of the country….and that is a year from now – 2016. What a grand and genius plan, indeed! It has been found out that officials of the sister LGUs who visit Makati are accommodated in condo units which saw better days as low-cost BLISS housing complex for Pag-ibig members. It has been alleged that the purchase and renovation of the building were strapped with fat commission. The free-of-charge accommodation comes with free meals, too.

Binay keeps on flaunting the benefits of Makati constituents, despite the fact that all of these are based on national policies which any municipality or city can adopt. When the latest survey on who the Filipinos thought is the most appropriate president, and the name of senator Grace Poe tailed behind him by just a very insignificant difference, Binay immediately issued a statement that the President should have enough experience as a government official, particularly in heading a political unit, which of course points to him, being a “successful” mayor of Makati and now Vice-President of the country!

Since the quest of Vice-President Binay affects the whole country, Filipinos who cannot be as tolerant as the constituents of Makati are now apprehensive, especially, with his uncalled for remark when interviewed by a radio station in Samar, during which he insinuated his pro-Chinese leaning. A joke is circulating about his plan to convert the whole country into a vast business empire using the investment of the Chinese, if he becomes the president of the country!...but whose business empire, is the question.