Binay’s campaign slogan: Competence and Experience

Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay (Photo from Binay’s official Facebook page)

MANILA – With the 2016 national elections nearing, Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay called for competent and experienced leaders to take over presidency – leaders whom he said were capable enough to deal with the current dilemmas besetting the country.

“O sa kanya ‘Change,’ o sa kanila ‘Honesty.’ Kanya-kanya tayong slogan (To him/her, ‘Change,’ or to them, ‘Honesty.’ We have our own slogans),” Binay said in a radio interview.

“Ako ang slogan ko ‘Competence and Experience.’ Huwag niyo namang anuhin ang slogan ko. I’m talking for myself, wala akong pinatutungkulan dito. Kanya-kanya ho tayong presentasyon sa tao,” he added.

(As for me, my slogan is ‘Competence and Experience.’ Please do not raise issues about it. I’m talking for myself, I’m not referencing anyone. We have our own presentation to the people.)

It can be recalled that Binay earlier stated that it would not be a good move if the presidency would be passed on to someone who was not well experienced in governing.

“Do you mean you will only learn about your responsibilities once you get elected? That would be the only time you will learn how to deal with a crisis. This BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) is a brewing crisis. Also the Spratlys issue is a brewing crisis,” he said.

“Do you have experience on how to deal with this. How about crisis [management] creation? The country will suffer. So we really need a president who has the competence and experience,” he added, asserting that serving in the legislative branch is different from the executive branch.

To this, Senator Grace Poe, who is on her first-term as legislator, responded that the next president should be honest to the country and its people. She insisted that Binay prove his honesty by facing corruption allegations against him. Binay’s camp, however, claimed that the allegations were just political ploys against him.

“The Vice President’s political detractors are clearly capitalizing on trial by publicity through fishing of evidence and shame campaign,” Binay’s spokesperson for political affairs, Rico Quicho, said, defending the vice president.

“Regardless, the Vice President is steadfast to protect his rights under the rule of law and pursue actions to vindicate the wrong done so he can continue his fight to uplift the lives of our people,” he added.

Binay and Poe are the top contenders in recent presidential preferences surveys.