Amid corruption charges, Binay-Honasan tandem first to file COC

UNA standard-bearer Vice President Jojo Binay and his running-mate Senator Gringo Honasan filed their COC on the first day of the five-day registration for candidates in the May 2016 polls.
(Photo from Binay’s official Facebook page)

MANILA – Despite both facing corruption allegations hurled against them, Presidential aspirant Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay and his running-mate Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan were the first to file their certificates of candidacy (COC) at the central office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday morning.

After attending a mass in San Agustin Church, Honasan disclosed that he trusted the country’s judicial system and that he would answer to the plunder and graft charges.

“Up to this point, I trust with the fairness in the judicial system until proven otherwise… Ang huhusga sa proseso natin at sa darating na halalan ay ang taumbayan (The Filipino people will be the ones to judge our process in the coming elections),” he said.

Binay, for his part, claimed that the accusations thrown at him were all part of a black propaganda for next year’s national elections. He also expressed confidence over his political party United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) choice of Honasan to be their vice-presidential candidate.

“UNA na, BinGo pa,” the Vice President said. “Dalawampu’t limang taon ako naglingkod sa pamahalaan at ang isang tinuunan ko ay ang iangat sa kahirapan ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino.”

(We’re not only UNA (First), we’re also a BinGo… I served in the government for 25 years and one of my focuses was to help every Filipino’s lives rise from poverty.)

It took only a couple of days for UNA to form the Binay-Honasan tandem, after months of searching and several rejections from politicians previously offered to run for vice president under the political party.