Senators Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes IV, Alan Cayetano at the final hearing, Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee on Makati anomalies. Photo from DZRH.Now that the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee has wrapped up its hearings on the alleged anomalies in Makati under the watch of the Binays, the ball is now with the Ombudsman and the Filipino people.
In his opening statement at the beginning of the 25th and last hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee Tuesday, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III as chair, assured the public that “the legislative ideas based on the evidence we have gathered as well as our findings on the two resolutions shall be forthcoming. Just to remind everyone, the subcommittee’s proceedings were undertaken in aid of legislation.”
This is to debunk criticisms of the year-long investigation as primarily a vehicle to destroy Vice President Jojo Binay, who is a presidential candidate in the 2016 elections.
Harry Roque with Rep. Gina de Venecia and Precy Lopez-Psinakis in a rally against Gloria Arroyo’s attempt to change Constitution in 2009.I’m so glad that lawyer Harry Roque has decided to go via the party list in his entry into politics. He is no longer joining Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance ticket.
In his meeting with members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Bacolod yesterday, Roque announced that he will be the first nominee of the party list Kalusugan, Pabahay, Kabuhayan or Kabayan which describes itself as “ a multi-sector party that represents Filipinos in various marginalized but highly important sectors in Philippine society” in the 2016 elections.
Roque said being with Kabayan “is more consistent with my human rights advocacy.”
Binay supporters throw monobloc chairs at policeIs the scene in Makati – Mayor Junjun Binay defying the Ombudsman’s suspension order – a preview of a Jejomar Binay presidency?
Early evening news yesterday reported that finally, the suspension order by the Office of the Ombudsman of Makati Mayor Junjun Binay was served. But not without violence.
Supporters of the Binays were seen throwing monobloc chairs at police officers. Vice President Jejomar Binay was also seen berating Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias, deputy director of the Southern Police District (SPD), accusing the latter of preventing their supporters from entering the City hall premises where they were holding a rally/vigil.
Sen. Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar BinayThe latest survey conducted by the Magdalo Group among voters in vote-rich Lingayen-Lucena corridor has Sen. Grace Poe leading the 2016 presidential race.
Conducted two weeks ago (May 18 to 20) among 3,000 respondents, the Magdalo survey, just like what they did in their national survey last April,had two scenarios.
Scenario One had 10 candidates while Scenario Two had five candidates.
Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, 2014 photo.There are those who believe that if Vice President Jejomar Binay does not push through with his announced presidential bid in 2016, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada will carry the opposition torch.
I seriously doubt it.
And it all boils down to money- at least P10 billion needed to finance a presidential campaign.
Although Binay is putting up a brave front, the freezing of his bank accounts as ordered by the Court of Appeals has the effect of paralyzing his campaign.
Interior Secretary Mar Roxas greets Sen. Grace Poe and Senate Pres. Frank Drilon in one of the hearings of the Mamasapano massacre. From Filipino.cri.cn
We trust Sen. Grace Poe would be astute in dealing with the reported courtship by the Liberal Party for the 2016 elections with no less than President Aquino and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas leading the wooing.
Although the talks were about the 2016 elections, Grace said there was no discussion on whether the Liberal Party is getting her as its standard bearer or running mate of Roxas, who, reports said, has told his party mates that he wants to push through in 2016 his 2010 aborted presidential plans.
This is supported by LP stalwarts Budget Secretary Butch Abad and Transportation Secretary Emilio Joseph “Jun” Abaya saying Roxas will carry the party’s banner in 2016.
Senate President Franklin Drilon even went further. Calling Roxas LP’s “presumptive candidate,” he called on Roxas to declare his intention for the presidency now.
Vice President Jejomar BinayWhile in Jakarta last week representing President Aquino in the 60th anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference, Vice President Jejomar Binay articulated what could be a foreign policy shift for the country if he succeeds in his ambition to become president.
“China has all the capital and we have the property so why don’t we try and develop that property as a joint venture?”he said.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. CarpioThis is not actually new. Binay disclosed this in an interview with Manila Times’ Efren Danao last year.
Amid concerns expressed by President Aquino and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario over massive reclamations being done by China around their occupied reefs in the disputed Spratlys in South China Sea, Binay further said: “Personally, my feeling is we will continue to insist (on) our sovereignty over those properties but at the same time we hope we can create a situation where we can improve bilateral relations with China.”
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has been conducting a series of lectures on the South China Sea dispute, said in his lecture last April 27 with judges and justices that joint development of the Spratlys with China is not possible without violating the Constitution.
Going down fast.Obviously, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s early campaigning was not enough to offset the negative impact of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigation which has exposed his alleged mindboggling corruption operations in Makati City.
His scores in Pulse Asia surveys on presidential preference, performance and trust ratings are in a freefall.
In the survey conducted November 14 to 20 Binay’s rating dropped by 21 percentage points (from 66 percent in September to only 45 percent in November).
His trust rating also took a steep decline – 20 percentage points, from 64 percent in September to 44 percent in November.
Binay distributes health cards in Cagayan de Oro.After Vice President Jejomar Binay backed out of the scheduled debate, which he himself suggested, with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, many asked if he is also reconsidering his announced presidential bid in 2016.
Binay immediately shut down the idea re-assuring his allies that there is no backing out of his ambition to be the next president of the Philippines, something that shudders many who imagine the level of corruption would it be under his presidency.
Binay gave the reason why he is pursuing his presidential plans despite the perception that he is severely damaged: “Napakalaki ng lamang ko. Never in the history na may ganun, hindi naman ganun kaagad ang lamang” (I keep a wide lead in surveys. Never in history that someone is leading the race by a wide margin).”
No one is really surprised that Vice President Jejomar Binay backed out of the Nov. 27 debate with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV which he himself suggested to the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster sa Pilipinas.
When the debate was starting to take a life of its own after he mentioned it to KBP President Herman Basbaño last October and Trillanes accepted the challenge, Binay was just waiting for an opportunity to back out.
The opportunity happened yesterday during his 72nd birthday celebration at the Philippine Marines headquarters.
He was asked about Trillanes’ statements that he was going into the much-publicized activity fully aware that the vice president, a lawyer, has an advantage as far as debating skills are concerned. But the senator, who was formerly a Philippine Navy officer said, he is on the side of truth.
