Binay visits Cagayan, cancels scheduled speech

Vice President Jejomar Binay. Photo courtesy of Binay’s official Facebook page.

MANILA – Instead of pursuing his original plan of defending himself against corruption accusations in an address to the nation, Vice President Jejomar Binay went to Cagayan to visit victims of Typhoon “Luis” (international name: Kalmaegi).

Binay earlier scheduled an address to the public to answer the allegations thrown at him by his former political allies in Makati City.

One of Binay’s aide also revealed on earlier reports, that the speech would be “emotional, heartfelt and presidential in tone.”

But because of the recent destruction brought by Typhoon Luis in the country, and the president away on a tour of Europe and the United States, Binay had to cancel the speech and visit the destructed areas, instead.

During his visit to check on the extent of the damage in some parts of Cagayan, Binay visited the towns of Peñablanca, Iguig, Amulung and Alcala in Cagayan province and proceeded to his mother’s hometown of Cauayan in Isabela province.

He said that he was glad to see the minimal effects of the typhoon in the towns he visited, which he attributed to the early disaster preparedness measures conducted by the local government.

He also noted that though he has chosen Cagayan because it was placed under Signal No. 3, the visit was also a home-coming for him.

“We are Ibanag and I speak Ibanag,” Binay said, adding that he came from the town of Cabagan.