Trillanes on VP Binay: ‘Mahirap namang magkaroon ulit tayo ng magnanakaw na Presidente’

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is happy about the recent drop in Vice President Jejomar Binay’s satisfaction ratings, but insists there was no conspiracy between senators investigating the Binays and the Liberal Party (LP) to discredit the second highest official of the country.

Public perception

Trillanes, who belongs to the Nacionalista Party, believes the 15-point slide in Binay’s ratings can be attributed to the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee’s investigation on reported anomalies in Makati during his term as mayor.

“Natutuwa naman ako at namumulat na ang mga kababayan natin sa tunay na pagkatao ni Vice President Binay,” he told reporters on Monday.

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The investigation has so far covered various allegations against Binay, from the Makati city hall parking building’s overpricing and rigged biddings in the city to ill-gotten wealth.

Asked if the revelations in the Senate probe, particularly Binay’s alleged ownership of a hacienda in Batangas, would hurt his chances of becoming president, Trillanes said, “Sana at dapat. Mahirap namang magkaroon ulit tayo ng magnanakaw na presidente.”

Conspiracy denied

The senator denied, however, that he and other senators are conspiring with LP to discredit Binay, who has openly declared his intention to seek the presidency in 2016.

He said he knows nothing about “Oplan Stop Nognog in 2016,” an operation that Binay’s camp had said was organized to destroy the vice president’s reputation.

“Palagay ko ‘yan ay isang panlilinlang ng kampo ni Vice President Binay para malihis ang isyu,” Trillanes said.

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He also criticized Binay’s camp for making an issue out of who rode the helicopters that took aerial shots of the property in Batangas.

“Bakit natin kailangang kilalanin kung sino ang may-ari ng helicopter? Kung hindi sa kanya ang property, ano’ng pakialam niya doon?” he said. “Ibig sabihin talagang kanila ‘yon.”

The sub-committee will hold its next hearing on the issue on October 23.