Tricky stooges
Among the peculiar characteristics of Philippine politics is that serious contenders for the presidential race won’t be known until they file their certificates of candidacy (CoC) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) or even later through substitution.
The reference for such a maneuver is always the unrelenting attack on former Vice President Jejomar Binay only because he was very candid in admitting his plan to seek the presidency right at the start of his term as the second-highest official of the land.
From then on, he was the prime target of schemers and attack dogs of the Liberal Party (LP) who was then plotting for a reign of at least 18 years or three administrations starting with President Noynoy Aquino.
Binay was booted out from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) party and he formed the United Nationalist Alliance which he leads until now.
The same faction who forced him out of the party led by Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel is now the cause of division between supporters of President Rodrigo Duterte and Pimentel’s 2022 bet, Sen. Manny Pacquiao.
The troika of Pimentel and then Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes IV carried on for more than a year a probe on the supposedly anomalous construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2 that they described as an expensive parking lot.
It turned out that the whole effort was meant to draw Binay into the spider’s nest and humiliate him before national television. The trio enjoyed using the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee as a platform for the demolition job.
It was a subcommittee undertaking because then Blue Ribbon chair Teofisto “TG” Guingona wanted to wash his hands from the apparent LP operation.
Also, the proceedings were nowhere near an investigation in aid of legislation as it should be, but a fishing expedition against the Vice President by employing all his known political opponents to testify against him.
Guingona allowed the opportunistic triad to call the shots in the probe that further established its being a partisan effort since no other senators except for the three attended the inquisition.
Top oppositionist Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was then detained, making it a lot easier for the then Palace allies to manipulate the probe.
Binay, however, proved to have more political savvy than the three as he refused to be drawn into the political circus.
In one of the inquiries, despite Binay’s refusal, an empty seat was reserved for him which was labeled Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay, former Mayor, Makati City.
Binay, in rejecting the invitation to attend the probe, said the office of the Vice President which he represented would be dishonored if he allowed the senators to gang up on him.
The intention of the three to humiliate Binay in their Senate turf, more than finding out his explanations on the charges leveled at him, was very clear after Cayetano branded as gatecrashers Binay’s spokesmen who were sent to represent him.
Then UNA secretary general JV Bautista, who went to the hearing, was blocked by the three Binay opponents from reading the Vice President’s message to the Blue Ribbon committee.
Binay said allowing himself to be led on by the three senators would set a bad precedent where the Vice President can be summoned to the Senate on the whims of senators.
Intrigues and division have been the hallmarks of Pimentel, Cayetano and Trillanes ever since.
“Then UNA secretary general JV Bautista was blocked by the three Binay opponents from reading his message to the Blue Ribbon committee.
“Binay, however, proved to have more political savvy than the three as he refused to be drawn into the political circus.