Aquino praises Roxas, no mention of Binay

President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the Joint Session of the 16th Congress at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives Complex in Constitution Hills, Quezon City on Monday (July 27, 2015).
(Photo by Robert Vinas/Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA – In his sixth and final State of the Nation Address, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III thanked and praised Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, among others, and overlooked Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay.

Roxas has been the presumptive standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) in next year’s national elections.  Aquino acknowledged him for being a man with integrity and competency and encouraged him against his detractors. He went on saying, ‘You can’t put a good man down.’

“Tulad ng pagtitiwala ng nanay at tatay ko, magtiwala kang alam ng taumbayan kung sino ang tunay na inuuna ang bayan, bago ang sarili,” he said.

(Like the trust given by my mother and father, trust that the people know who is really serving the country first before himself.)

Aquino also thanked all his Cabinet members, late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and even his house helper Yolly Yebes.

To Binay, however, the President only made an allusion to the Vice President’s complaints in the administration. Citing the 89.4 million Filipinos as PhilHealth beneficiaries from the previous 47 million, he despised those who said the government was inefficient and insensitive.

It can be recalled that Binay earlier criticized Aquino’s administration for being ‘palpak’ (inefficient) and ‘manhid’ (insensitive).  He later on led the opposition.