Atienza slams Cayetano for including Binay’s daughter in Senate probe

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza recently said that he is praying that Senator Alan Peter Cayetano becomes a parent soon, so he can understand the hurt that parents go through when their children are placed in harm’s way.

Atienza’s wish for Cayetano

In a statement released on Saturday, November 1, Atienza criticized Cayetano for dragging the name of the youngest daughter of Vice-President Jejomar Binay, in the investigation being conducted by the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee.

Atienza was referring to the incident during the Senate hearing last week wherein Cayetano presented photos from the Instagram account of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s youngest daughter, Joanna Marie, showing the Binays in the controversial Rosario, Batangas estate.

“Senator Cayetano is a proponent of the novel legal theory that if you just keep shoveling out more and more half-baked, circumstantial evidence, one after another, somehow the whole smelly heap will miraculously turn into a solid body of proof. This reasoning would not dignify a proper Senate hearing, let alone a court of law,” Atienza said.

The former Manila mayor also wished that the senator and his wife become parents soon so he would know how it’s like to be a father.

“We can only blame his lack of remorse over dragging the Vice President’s youngest daughter into this sordid affair on his lack of experience with being a parent,” he said.

Binay defends daughter

The Vice President has cried foul over the inclusion of his youngest daughter in the investigation being conducted by the Senate blue ribbon sub-committee.

Binay said the Senate blue ribbon sub-committee has crossed the line by dragging his youngest daughter into what he claimed as efforts to malign his name.

“Alam mo ba nakakalungkot ako’y sinisiraan, pati ba naman yung anak ko na bunso isinasama pa sa kinukutya at hinahamak? Bahala na Diyos sa kanila,” Binay said.

“Sobra na po. Sobra na,” he added.

ALSO READ: Binay fumes after youngest daughter dragged into Batangas estate issue

The Vice President’s camp has said the photos do not prove ownership.

“Nag-videoke lang, may-ari ka na? VP and family have been open about using the facilities and visiting Rosario. For one, Dr. [Elenita] Binay (the Vice President’s wife) has a flower farm there. But these photos, like previous photos shown by Sen. Cayetano, are not proof of ownership,” said Binay’s spokesperson for political concerns Jonvic Remulla.