Binay targets Roxas after debate
ILIGAN CITY, Lanao del Norte – Vice President Jejomar Binay held back in attacking his opponents during the presidential debate Sunday in Cagayan de Oro. But not on the campaign trail.
The focus of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) party standard-bearer's tirades appeared to be his Liberal Party (LP) counterpart Mar Roxas, who incidentally took snipes at him during the televised, two-hour debate.
"Mayroong isang tao dyan, marami daw karanasan. Naging secretary, secretary, secretary. Puro kapalpakan naman (There is one person there who boasts of having experience. He became secretary several times. But has always been a failure)," Binay said to cheers from locals at the plaza.
"Ang mga MRT at mga nakawan sa kaban ng bayan. Yun ho puro kapalpakan (The Metro Rail Transit problems and stealing from the country's coffers. Those are all failures)."
Earlier in Lugait in nearby Misamis Oriental, Binay uttered something that's similarly scathing:
"May ibang kandidato dyan may karanasan daw, pero karanasan naman sa kapalpakan (There's one candidate there who says he has experience, but this experience is all about failure)," the opposition leader said.
Of Binay's four rivals for the Palace seat, only Roxas was a Cabinet official. He formerly held the top posts at the Department of Trade and Industry ( DTI), Department of Interior and Local Government DILG) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
The latter two was with the current Aquino administration.
Binay in past interviews blamed Roxas for the MRT woes, particularly during the latter's tenure as DOTC secretary.
Roxas hurled pot shots against his rivals during the debate. In his opening statement, he referred to one presidential bet as having been "accused of stealing".
Various allegations of graft and corruption have been raised against the Vice President for a year and a half chiefly over the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building II.
Binay, a former longtime Makati mayor, pretty much kept all his thoughts to himself as he didn't give any media interviews after the debate.