Nancy Binay challenges fellow senators to ‘admit personal motives’ after signing report against Binays

Sen. Nancy Binay. Photo courtesy of Binay’s official Facebook page.

MANILA — “My colleagues have their own reasons for signing and I respect that. But I wish those who signed it thinking it would boost their plans to run for president or vice president will be candid enough to admit their personal motives,” Sen. Nancy Binay said in a statement.

Sen. Binay was referring to her colleagues in the Senate who signed the committee report, which recommends filing plunder and graft charges against her father Vice President Jejomar ‘Jojo’ Binay and her brother Makati Mayor Jejomar ‘JunJun’ Binay.

The reports also recommend filing charges against other individuals involved in the allegedly overpriced buildings in Makati City.

“I was not surprised by their decision to sign the report,” Sen. Binay said. “I only hope that they realize soon enough that the report they signed, despite taking 21 hearings in order to be completed, will be useless when it reaches the Ombudsman.”

“So why did it take 21 hearings to come out with a partial report? Bakit hindi nila sabihin sa taumbayan kung magkano na so far ang ginastos mula sa pera ng bayan para sa mga hearing na wala namang katuturan? Ganun din naman ang resulta—their recommendation will be deemed useless since there is already an ongoing investigation (Why don’t they just tell the people how much they have spent on these pointless hearings? The results are the same—their recommendation will be deemed useless since there is already an ongoing investigation),” she further said.

Out of the 24 senators, 10 signed the report. They were senators Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Bam Aquino, Serge Osmeña III, Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III, Teofisto Guingona III, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Grace Poe.

Sen. Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III is the chairman of the subcommittee, while Sen. Teofisto Guingona III is the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV have openly declared their presidential bid for 2016, while Sen. Grace Poe is being pursued by both the Liberal Party and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which is the Binay’s political party.

In a report from the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sen. Binay said, “It’s all about the survey at dahil survey period ngayon, gusto nilang mapansin at mapag-usapan ng media. Dahil dito, ni hindi nila pinansin ang pangbu-bully sa mga tao na identified sa father ko at ang pagkonsinte sa pagsisinungaling at paninira ng pangalan ng mga witness nila (It’s all about the survey, because it’s survey period now. They just want to be noticed and talked about by the media. Because of this, they no longer mind bullying people identified with my father, as well as condoning the lies and negative propaganda from their witnesses).”

She also has a few choice words for her colleagues who are aiming for higher office next year.

“Sa mga gustong mag presidente at mag bise presidente: sabihin na lang sa tao what you stand for, not what you stand against. Napakadaling magsabi na kontra ka sa isang bagay o isang tao, pero ano naman ba talaga ang sagot mo sa mga problema ng mahihirap? (To those who want to be president or vice president: Just tell the people what you stand for, not what you stand against. It’s easy to say that you’re against something or someone, but what is your solution for the problems of the poor?)”