PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III indicated Thursday how Vice President Jejomar Binay has become an ingrate, citing how he had treated him despite coming from another political party.
Speaking to reporters in Pasay City, Aquino said he did not treat Binay as a "spare tire" even if he belongs to the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, which fielded its own candidate in the 2013 senatorial polls.
"Palagay ko record will support my case na number one, hinalal siya ng taumbayan, ibinigay ko sa kanya ang lahat ng pagkakataon na hindi siya maging spare tire," said the President.
Aquino said he allowed Binay to become adviser for overseas Filipinos workers' affairs, even if he and the Vice President agreed that the latter would just get the housing czar position.
"At lahat ito 'yung ipinagkaloob natin sa kanya 'yung pagkakataon na manatili 'yung kanyang popularity ratings (We gave him all his chances to keep his popularity ratings)," Aquino said.
"Bagama't hindi natin siya kaalyado 'nung tumakbo sa eleksyon, bagama't 'nung 2013 nandun siya sa kabilang grupo, hindi natin siya parang pinigilan na 'yung magkaroon naman ng pagkakataon na marecognize 'yung kanyang trabaho (We did not prevent him from proving his worth, despite his being a member of a rival party)," Aquino said.
During the five years that Binay was with the Cabinet, the Chief Executive said he could not remember any instance that when the Vice President requested for a meeting, he declined.
Even when Binay tendered his irrevocable resignation last Monday through his daughter, Makati City Representative Abigail Binay, Aquino said he immediate called up the Vice President to determine the reason for his action because he treated him as "a member of his official family."
But Binay did not provide him the reason and instead promised to give a letter containing his reasons for resigning, said Aquino, who admitted of being "surprised" of Binay's decision to quit.
He said his relationship with Binay started in 1986 during the Edsa People Power Revolution and in 1987 when a coup d'etat against the President's mother, late President Corazon Aquino, took place and almost killed him when his convoy was ambushed.
"Ngayon, ang dami kong gustong sabihin sa totoo lang, pero palagay ko dapat yata e 'yung i-formalize ko na rin 'yung statement para maging maliwanag na maliwanag sa ating mga sagot sa kanyang mga sumbat," Aquino said.
"At siguro kung tatanungin mo, ano ang pakiramdam ko? Pangkaraniwan naman siguro sa Pilipino, kayo na lumagay sa posisyon ko, paano ko ba siya tinirato ng mali at tapos ito ang isinukli? Kaya thank you na rin sa kanya."
On Wednesday, Binay delivered a televised message, hitting the Aquino administration.
He accused the government of being incompetent, having lack of sympathy for the poor, and engaging in selective justice.
He attacked the Aquino administration two days after he resigned from the Cabinet.
Aquino said that his administration would "formalize" the answer to all Binay's accusations.
"Well, sasagutin ko at sasagutin ng Gabinete point-by-point lahat itong mga sinumbat niya kahapon (We will answer point-by-point all his tirades)," he said.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a Binay critic, said the Vice President "self-destructed" himself.
He added that it would only appear that the Vice President “only got mad and threw a tantrum” when the President chose not to endorse him for the 2016 presidential polls.
"He (Binay) just created a foe. And he decided to spar the most powerful man and that’s not a good thing,” Trillanes said.
“The President needs not to go down to the level of VP (Vice President) Binay. He (Binay) was the one who burned the bridge. The friendship ends when you hit (a person) at personal level by saying that (the administration is) incompetent and numb,” he said.
Trillanes said the Vice President is not the right person to criticize the administration as he, too, allegedly did nothing to address the issue of Disbursement Acceleration Program and the death of 44 Special Action Force troopers.
"Where was he? He was just campaigning and was modeling himself at the market then he would say he is concerned (about the country)," the senator said.
He said Binay's ratings will surely plunge in the next presidential survey.
“In the next survey, the front runners for presidential race will be Senator Grace Poe, Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. He (Binay) will then be number four. At that time, he would be discouraged (to run),” Trillanes said.
Trillanes instigated the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee hearing on the corruption allegations against Binay.
Another hearing was scheduled on July 8, which Trillanes said will be an "eye-opener to those who chose to be blind" to the alleged wrongdoings of the Binay family.
After hearing what Binay had said Wednesday, Aquino said the Vice President apparently had many things in mind on how to improve the lives of the Filipinos.
Binay could have shared this when he was still with the Cabinet, he said.
"Ngayon after 'nung statement niya kahapon, tila marami siyang kinikimkim na mga sekreto para magpaganda sa pagpapatakbo nitong bansang ito. Palagay ko may obligasyon siya na miyembro siya ng Gabinete na ibinahagi niya ito," he said.
Aquino also indicated that Binay's using of his mother's battle cry of "tama na, sobra na" against the dictatorship of late President Ferdinand Marcos on Tuesday's speech was uncalled for.
"Well, bago umabot 'yung sinabi ng nanay ko 'yung 'tama na at sobra na', medyo mahaba-haba 'yung nilitanya at nadama 'nung taumbayan 'yung litanya 'nung dictatorship --- 'yung lahat ng kasalanan 'nung dictatorship," he said. (SDR/Ruth Abbey Gita/Sunnex)