By Ducky Paredes
Here is another Binay “Friend” with a letter regarding Jejomar, this time from Buddy Gomez, former press secretary to Cory Aquino:
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“Vice President Jejomar C. Binay has now become an irrefutable moral issue. As our world is witness, he stands accused of colossal and systematic thievery of public funds that runs into hundreds of millions of pesos. Is he really a thief or is he a saint/benefactor (as he portrays himself to be the savior of the masses)? Is he good or is he bad? And since long has he avowed his desire to be the President of the Philippines, and even utilized this episode as an opportunity for early campaigning, is Jejomar Binay fit to be President?
“Before the forums that Binay has selected to address, there seems to lurk behind his rhetoric and demeanor an attempt to summon the ‘masa,’ bastion of his miscalculated arrogance and maladjusted self-confidence, into a potential class war. Binay is evidently now in a dire survival mode and in panic. He can be dangerous, hopefully, only to himself.
“Dabbling in matters Binay has become irresistible, and so today, I succumb to the temptation. Let me then join this political festival with the overweening thought that apart from the desirable end of justice being meted to the guilty, there could be also be a socially elevating purgative for the moribund and uncaring conscience of those in dire poverty and destitution, accused of always being ready for handouts in exchange for votes, the “masa,” who perhaps in Binay’s wildest dreams, he can still summon to come to his aid at this stage of the revelations against him.
“It is perhaps prudent to surmise that never in the history of the Philippines has the population witnessed and become participants in the involuntary disembowelment of an incumbent public official of his supposedly well-masqueraded cache of unexplained wealth. The enormity of the alleged pelf and purloined riches this official keeps on denying has been for weeks now been the flavor of the ensuing hours, day in, day out, obviously seeping down to the attention and interest of the citizenry, the ‘masa’ now included and participating.
“When a respected and legitimate opinion survey states that 70 percent of the Filipino people, covering the range of demographics and geography have expressed a wish to see the accused face his accusers in the very arena of original exposition--in the Senate--(the survey’s data mined include the socio-eco C,D, and E classes), I see a welcome change in attitude. If perchance this is somewhat merely a fluke, it then deserves further nurturing and encouragement. Planting the seeds of social responsibility especially among the destitute and downtrodden is a worthy apostolate by the better endowed among us.
“Is Binaygate therefore a seminal moment that will awaken outrage among the disparagingly described as “bobotantes” and bring about a new discernment and concern both in public opinion and ultimately, in the casting of ballots? That remains to be seen. But the wait may not be that long. Mukhang daratnan na ng pagkamulat ang mga mata. Dukha man at maralita, may konsensya rin! (Looks like their eyes are beginning to open. Even the poor have a conscience.) They will rally to the truth.
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“Before I end this piece, let me digress a bit to the matter of pieces of evidence that have become available.
“Among the many exhibits that have been displayed by formal and social media, there are two seemingly and relatively small acts of alleged thievery that may have eluded most of us but nonetheless have caught my fancy.
“One, the overpricing (‘tong-pats’ in sidewalk parlance) of toilet fixtures and amenities in the now famous Makati City Hall parking building-cum-offices. This has led a Filipino expatriate from down under (a Mr. Lores) to refer to it as “Kubetagate.” Now isn’t that quaint! The arithmetic of the Kubetagate comparables are very precise, most especially those of the same type and specifications purchased and installed in hotels and residential condos in Makati itself. Same banana but grossly overpriced for the Binay/Makati project. Gotcha, as gotcha can! The “patong”/overpricing of these fixtures and amenities is inescapable and truly damning!
“The other one involves horses. Binay has evidently gone into the breeding of imported horses. Why or whatever for, one can only surmise. We know by his own propaganda that he tended to pig fattening while growing up as an orphan. But breeding horses? Seeds of delusional grandeur? Has a personality disorder set in? This horse aspect of Binaygate has hardly been touched or even noticed but it could be irreversibly additionally damaging to his political health. Remember that in ‘Hacienda Binay’ in Rosario, Batangas a portion of the hectarage has been set aside and developed into horse stables and paddocks.
“If what has been reported holds true that valuable assets such as horsebreeding stock have not been declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), this could be a fatal add-on to others that he is accused of omitting in his SALN. There is no way that Binay can deny ownership of the horses (and by simple deduction, as well the stables, the paddocks and the hectarage upon which these have been erected) because there are Bureau of Customs records of his horse importations from Australia, as well as the inevitable records of the horseowners’ association, the Philippine Stud Book, under the supervision of the Racing Commission. He is the owner and importer of these unreported assets.
“It is unlikely that the Binays will survive the onslaught of truth. My forecast is that Binay is dead meat!
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(“Jojo Binay and I go a long way. We were friends. In the early 1960s, we were fellow employees at the Insular Life, albeit I was his senior both in years and in office assignment. The last time we were together was two years ago during the 100th birthday celebration of our boss, Jose M. Olbes, who was President of Insular Life.”)
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