Avoid plotter, traitor as next VP, says Binay

By Angie Rosales
11/20/2009


The next vice president should be somebody that the president can rely on for cooperation and comple-mentation and not a “presumptive president-in-waiting,” Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay told a forum yesterday

Trust should exist between the elected president and the vice president where cooperation and complementation, and not competition, should define the relationship between them.

Speaking at a joint luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club of Manila and other civic organizations, Binay said that given the enormous problems that the next administration is bound to face, it should not be distracted by attempts of a ‘presumptive president-in-waiting’ to grab power.

“I strongly believe that the vice president should be a trusted advisor, comrade-at-work and a partner of the president. The vice president must not be like a thief, lurking in the shadows, plotting behind the president’s back, abandoning him during the most critical of times,” Binay said.

Binay was apparently referring to the 2001 incident in which then Vice President Gloria Arroyo plotted to oust overwhelmingly elected President Joseph Estrada with the help of the military and groups which are now backing the candidacy of Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Benigno Aquino III.

The Makati mayor, who is the running mate of Estrada

under the UNO banner, also said that rather than being a mere “spare tire” silently waiting at the sidelines, the next vice president should also be ready for the job.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., who is a supporter of Manuel Villar, meanwhile, belittled the administration’s tandem for the presidential and vice presidential race, saying the coming elections for the two highest positions in the country will likely be narrowed down to two opposition candidates.

In the event of disqualification from the presidential race of former President Joseph Estrada, the race to the presidency will be between Liberal Party’s (LP) bet Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and Nacionalista Party’s (NP) Sen. Manuel Villar Jr.

“I think of course, the biggest contender would still be Noynoy (Aquino) from the LP and he has a lot of sentimental support coming from the friends and colleagues of his late father and mother,” he said.

“But I (also) think that it is Villar who has the best organization. I think Manny is better organized than anyone in the provinces and in the cities,” Pimentel said during the weekly Kapihan sa Senado news forum.

The senator, while openly admitting his preference to support Villar among the presidentiables even if his son, lawyer Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel is said to be running for the Senate anew under Estrada’s banner, would not give any significance to Palace’s fielding of former defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and former Optical Media Board (OMB) chair Edu Manzano as front runners in the polls.

“I don’t think they are running at all,” was Pimentel’s comment when asked to assess the chance of the administration candidates.

“Like the president, the next vice president should also be ready for the job. Someone who has the competence, the experience and the training of a manager – someone who belongs to the working club, and not to the debating club,” Binay said.

The opposition leader said if given the chance to serve as vice president, he will put behind whoever is elected president his over three decades of managerial experience running the city of Makati, the country’s financial center.

Binay, a leading advocate of strong local governments through greater autonomy, said that the challenge to the next national leadership will be their willingness to surrender control over to local governments.

“If elected vice president, I will be the voice of those who serve our people directly. I shall lead in ensuring the attainment of true political and fiscal autonomy for the local governments, even if it means diminished political and financial power at the center,” Binay said.

The mayor vowed to help the next national leadership define the relationship between the central government and the local government units, citing his “successful experience in the development and management of a strong local government.”

“By being the champion of the units that are in intimate contact with our people, I shall become the voice of each and every Filipino, who, as vice president, will just be a whisper away from the highest leader of the land,” Binay said.

The mayor has been invited as guest of honor at the joint luncheon meeting at the Manila Polo Club today hosted by the Rotary Club of Manila, together with the Rotary Clubs of Bagumbayan, Chinatown Manila, Forbes Park, Makati Poblacion and Guadalupe Nuevo, and the Innerwheel Club of Makati Edsa.

For Pimentel, he said: “The problem of Erap (Estrada), of course is the fact that he might just be disqualified. I know my son contradicts me in this. My opinion is that he is in danger. Let us just put that in that manner. He is in danger of being disqualified and therefore the fight will eventually narrow down to Villar and Aquino.

“And the biggest question mark is (Vice President) Noli (de Castro). Why is Noli so quiet? Has he entered into a modus vivendi with Gloria (Arroyo)? So that when she runs for congresswoman in Pampanga she can make an announcement that she resigns and lets him become president in the meantime? That is a malicious scenario,” he said.

While the ruling party’s yesterday officially declared Teodoro and Manzano as their candidates, one of Palace’ ally in the upper chamber, Sen. Edgardo Angara announced that his party, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) is endorsing the candidacy of colleague, Sen. Loren Legarda for the vice presidency.

Angara was quick to point out that they are not closing their doors on any of the presidential candidates, including Estrada, as they would be leaving the decision-making on their party members on the matter of their choice for the president in the next elections.

While most of the presidential debates are being done in the confines of an auditorium or hotel ballroom, a lawmaker from Ilocos Norte brought up the idea of a debate in the midst of urban filth and squalor.

According to Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. his proposal entails the holding of a different kind of presidential debate wherein the so-called ‘presidentiables’ will answer questions directly from the masses.

Marcos dubbed the debate as “Presidential Debate sa Riles.”

Instead of the usual intellectuals, Marcos said the debate panel shall be comprised of barbers, manicurists, laundry women, janitors, seamstresses, construction workers, newsboys, the “magbobote,” the sidewalk vendors, jeepney drivers, carpenters and house helpers. Gerry Baldo


Source: http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20091120hed2.html