Binay’s fight is with lawmakers, says Malacañang

Vice President Jejomar Binay. Photo courtesy of Jojo Binay on Facebook.

MANILA – Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said that Vice President Jejomar Binay is attacking lawmakers of the administration in defending himself against corruption charges and not President Aquino.

Binay is currently under investigation for alleged corruption when he was still mayor of Makati City. He denied the charges and called the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee a “kangaroo court.”

Allies of Malacañang criticized him for choosing to stay in the administration but attacking it to defend himself over corruption charges.

Binay’s latest tirade came on Saturday at a gathering at the Manila Hotel wherein he said that Aquino’s allies are wasting their time for investigating “recycled” charges against him.

“There is a power crisis, the rising prices of oil and other commodities, the rampant crime plaguing the country, the hellish traffic jams, unsafe MRT and LRT, the recurrent flooding and the wrath of nature that we must all prepare for,” he said.

He added, “But instead of giving all their time and thoughts to achieve solutions to these problems, they chose to advance their own interests by destroying my name and those of my loved ones.

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As response, Coloma said that Binay is not against the President but against “administration allies in the Senate who have mounted an inquiry into alleged corruption in Makati during his term as Makati mayor.”

He added, “Since the subject of the newspaper story was the issue between Vice President Binay and the legislators he was referring to, we have nothing more to add.”

Regarding the debate between Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Binay, the Palace said that they welcome it as part of a “healthy democracy.”

“Let the discussions that will give our people additional knowledge take place,” Coloma said.