I will not beat around the bush: The thought of this country being led by Vice President Jejomar Binay in the near future scares me to my core. In fact, the amount of effort that it takes me to dislike the Binay political dynasty is approximately zero.
It’s fairly easy to notice everything that’s being thrown against Binay and his family. From newspapers to online reports, mass media is ablaze with issues that the Binays have simply been dismissing as part of an agenda to spoil the vice president’s bid for presidency in the 2016 national elections. Case in point: Many allegations have been brought up in the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon Committee probe, ranging from overpriced birthday cakes given to senior citizens in Makati, to the alleged “kickbacks” in the construction of the 11-story Makati City Hall Building 2.
All of these, of course, are “politically motivated” according to the Binays. As of press time, none of them have attended any of the Senate hearings. Even then, their absence in official proceedings has not hindered them from looking like they’re out to fool the people.
Last August 20, vice presidential son and Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay defended his city’s two-billion peso building, saying that it was not just a parking facility but a “world-class” building. He stated some of its features: A landscaped roof deck, an atrium on its seventh floor and LED lights, among others—all of which seem like not-so revolutionary features that have existed even before his election into office.
To add to that, Junjun’s sister, Nancy, also defended the building by telling the media that “beauty is in the eyes of the beholder.” According to her, the same might also apply to the building. People may not see its beauty, but she and her family do, as it is incomparable to buildings owned by other local government units in the country.
Experts expressed their doubt in the Binays’ claims after inspecting the building last September 2. During their visit, quantity surveyor Greg Jackson and architect Danilo Alano said that the building was “standard” and that there was nothing unusual for it to be called world-class. They also pointed out that gypsum boards were used for its internal walls and that a vinyl similar to linoleum had been used to cover the floors.
To make matters worse, even the contractor of the building refuses to call it world-class. During the third hearing in Senate, a representative from Hilmarc’s Construction Corp. clarified that they neither agree nor disagree with the Binay’s claims.
This leaves us with more than enough reason for suspicion, and tons of nonsense from the Binays. At this rate, these issues just seem like the tip of the iceberg. But then again, who are we to judge? Who holds the truth behind this whole political circus? It seems as if we are always forced to choose the lesser evil.
In a few months, I will leave the comfort of my university hoping to thrive in the “real world.” A little more than a year after that and a new administration is to be elected. There will be changes in our country perhaps more radical than I can expect. And though I have no faith in how the Binays govern, I have no choice but to hold on to a sliver of hope that maybe—just maybe—I was wrong.
