Disqualify Binay to level playing field for 2016

By ELLEN T. TORDESILLAS

ALL these investigations on the alleged corruption of Vice President Jejomar Binay are primarily to level the playing field for the 2016 presidential elections.

That’s because surveys showed that Binay is way, way ahead of other politicians who have ambitions to run for president in 2016.

When Pulse Asia asked 1,200 representative adults, 18 years old and above last June 24 through July 2, who they would vote for president if elections were held at that time, 41 percent said, “Binay.” That’s a good number. Analysts say that a presidential candidate has to have at least 40 per cent of the votes cast to win the presidency.

After Binay was Sen. Grace Poe with 12 per cent. As of now, however, Poe remains unconvinced about running for the top post especially if it’s primarily to prevent Binay from becoming president.

Third was former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada with nine percent. This is something to be concerned about which we will take up in future columns.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the Liberal Party’s candidate, presumably the candidate also of Aquino, was preferred only by seven percent of the respondents. He had the same following as senators Chiz Escudero and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Senators Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and Alan Cayetano, both vying to be the Nacionalista Party’s standard bearer for 2016, were each preferred by only five per cent of the respondents.

Given what seems to be the overwhelming advantage of Binay, the other presidential aspirants know that they have to improve their appeal to the voters in the next 20 months. They also have to pull down Binay.

Or better yet, eliminate Binay from the race to level playing field.

If one is to believe coffee shop talks about institutionalized corruption in Makati, Binay is one smart politician to have gotten away with it the past so many years.

But his political opponents want to make sure that this time they will get him. In the Senate, Cayetano together with Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Aquilino Pimentel III are leading the investigation against the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall building 2.

Plunder charges have been filed against the Vice President and his mayor son over the Makati City Hall building 2. The Office of the Special Prosecutor of the Ombudsman has also revived graft and malversation charges against Mrs. Binay in connection with overpriced hospital beds in the Ospital ng Makati during her tem as the city’s chief executive.

Aquino, who has made the anti-corruption crusade his administration’s banner program, has tried to keep a distance from the demolition job on Binay saying only that “the truth will set us all free.”

However, he has stressed several times, in the presence of Roxas that he wants someone who will continue his “Tuwid na Daan” crusade to succeed him.

But it seems that even in his camp, Aquino cannot get everybody to join the “Demolish Binay” campaign. House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. doused cold water on impeachment plans against Binay saying a vice president cannot be impeached for acts he did as mayor.

This is not surprising.It will be recalled that in the 2010 presidential elections, one faction in the Aquino camp was Noy-BI ( Pnoy for president and Binay for vice president).

The Noy-BI supporters included Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr., who worked as city administrator when Belmonte was Quezon City mayor.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima last Friday told media she was not pleased that Renato Bondal, one of the witnesses against Binay who was placed under the Witness Protection Program, held a press conference reacting to the speech of Binay last Thursday, without the DOJ’s permission.

Binay, in his Thursday speech, did not present proofs to dispute the allegations of corruption in the Makati City Hall Building II.

Since congressmen are not eager to impeach Binay, another option to disqualify him from the presidential race is to convict him of plunder. Not just charge and imprison him because unless convicted, he can still run for president. He might even get sympathy votes. He has to be convicted and the conviction deemed final and executory

Those who want a level playing field for the 2016 elections have about one year and half to do that.