The return of VP Jojo Binay

overshadowed by the victory of our sports heroine Hidilyn diaz at the ongoing tokyo olympics is the announcement that former vp Jojo Binay shall run for senator under the Lacson-sotto ticket. this was unexpected, as many political pundits have thought that his political career is over after he lost in his congressional bid against romulo ”Kid” Peña in Makati in 2019. this was following his upset loss in the 2016 presidential contest where President duterte emerged the winner.

VP Binay will come to his full political blooming if he gets elected to the Senate. All his political life, he has served the executive branch of the government—as Mayor of his beloved City of Makati for 21 years, as MMDA Chairman, as Vice President and as a cabinet member.

One of VP Binay’s assets is that he has the correct narrative to tell the people. A poor boy who was orphaned at the age of 9 and adopted by an uncle who took care of him. Old residents in Kulikuli, in Barangay Pio del Pilar, Makati still recall his early days when he collected “kaning baboy” from the neighboring households. This was one of the various odd jobs he did to support himself at school. He attended public schools to save on tuition fees and school expenses. He attended the Philippine Normal College preparatory school for his basic education. He graduated from the UP High School before taking up Political Science Degree at the University of the Philippines. He pursued his law studies in the same university and finished his law degree in 1967. He was a “Iskolar ng Bayan” all throughout. After becoming a lawyer, he devoted his time to human rights causes, which earned him respect among his peers, including Aquilino Pimentel Jr., a leading opposition figure during the martial law years. After the 1986 Edsa revolt, VP Binay was the first local executive to be appointed by President Cory as Mayor of the premier city of Makati, upon recommendation of DILG Secretary Pimentel. And the Binay family has not relinquished the position since. No viable opposition has come out to challenge Binay’s dominance in Makati politics that former Mayor Junjun ran against his own sibling, Mayor Abigail, to reclaim the city’s chief executive post. Makati, the richest local government units of our country, is a republic run by the Binays and there is no Vico Sotto in the horizon to topple it.

VP Binay will come to his full political blooming if he gets elected to the Senate. All his political life, he has served the executive branch of the government—as Mayor of his beloved City of Makati for 21 years, as MMDA Chairman, as Vice President and as a cabinet member. His impressive resume and educational training equipped him with a breadth of knowledge that will serve him well in crafting legislation to improve the lot of his countrymen. As a veteran lawyer who has represented political activists and militants for free and as a street parliamentarian himself, he possesses the tool to introduce relevant pieces of legislation and successfully navigate them into passage along the intricate legislative mill. He is one of the founders of Mabini, a group of nationalist lawyers who defended human rights during the dark days of Martial Law. He was a leading member of the August Twenty One Movement, a staunch anti-marcos organization formed to perpetuate the memory of Ninoy Aquino, to oppose Martial Law and the abuses of the Marcos regime. He defended political detainees, student and labor activists for free, and his militant legal advocacy had landed him in jail but he was undeterred in his commitment to democracy. He is one of our current leaders gifted with political courage who defied the incumbent president to protect his rights. When he was the Makati City mayor, he was preventively suspended from office by President Gloria Macapagal-arroyo for allegations of corruption. He refused to receive the order of suspension and barricaded himself inside the

City Hall, with his security forces. He successfully rallied his supporters to troop to the Makati City Hall to prevent the government forces from taking over Makati until the Court of Appeals had issued a restraining order stopping VP Binay’s suspension.

VP Binay could have been the present occupant of Malacañang. He was the clear frontrunner months before the 2016 presidential election. Early in the campaign, VP Binay got the endorsements of powerful politicians who command the votes in their respective bailiwicks. The Dys and the Albanos of Isabela, the Remullas of Cavite, the Garcias of Cebu and many other vote-rich provinces, which could spell victory and defeat in the national election. He had vast government experience and the support of a well-oiled political machinery. But his adversaries ganged up on him and pounded him on the sole issue of corruption. VP Binay did not face up to the charges and wished that it would just die down and be buried by other election issues. But it did not. Opponents harped on it in every presidential debate and the corruption issue dogged him throughout the campaign.

VP Binay’s “strategy of silence” amidst the rampaging accusation of corruption scandal had boomeranged against him from which he could not recover. Contrast it with what President Duterte and his handlers did. President Duterte was confronted with a bank document allegedly showing his huge bank deposits a couple of weeks before the election.

All his public life, VP Binay has been hounded by controversy. His dark skin and diminutive height have earned him the moniker, ”Nognog,” a popular comic character who was stout and dark-skinned, and “Rambotito,” for his penchant to wear fatigue combat uniform with Uzi submachine gun slung on his shoulder and powerful gun tucked in his waist during the height of the coup attempts against President Cory. But he was hardly affected by them and even capitalized on it to his advantage. He and his family were subjected to the longest Senate investigation on alleged corruption activities, but up to now not one of them has been put in jail. In fact, many of the charges have been dismissed. He was accused of cheating on his wife and a photograph showing him and his alleged lover was circulated to the public. He admitted it but confessed that it was long over and that he had already sought forgiveness from his wife and family. Now that he is once more running for an elective office, VP Binay will again invite media and public attention. Muckrakers, well meaning or not, may again dig up skeletons in his closet and have their field day on social media. But VP Binay has seen, fought and suffered them all. Those who still believe in him, and there are many, will vote for him and find out what we have missed by rejecting him last time.