UNA not considering alternative presidential bet other than Binay —JV Ejercito

Vice President Jejomar Binay remains to be the sole presidential bet of the opposition party United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for the 2016 elections, amid plunder charges he is facing in connection with the alleged overpriced construction of Makati City Hall Building II, UNA member Sen. JV Ejercito said. 

 

"Sa ngayon, wala pa. Hindi pa namin napag-uusapan ang ganun," Ejercito said in a forum in Manila on Monday, when asked if UNA has an alternative presidential bet in case the plunder complaint against Binay pending before the Office of the Ombudsman progresses.

 

Ejercito likewise said that the UNA leadership has not yet discussed Binay's possible running mate.

 

"We do talk (about 2016 elections) but we have not discussed the possible running mate of Binay... Masyado pa maaga e. We still have two years to go (to decide)," Ejercito said at the Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel.

 

He said UNA would probably complete and announce its line-up for 2016 elections by the middle of next year.

 

"Politics has its time. It has to be a year or a year and a half (before elections)," Ejercito said.

 

His half-brother, detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada, had earlier expressed, though in jest, his intention to be the running mate of Binay, saying that he thinks it was him being referred to by Binay as "MVP."

 

"I do not know what MVP stands for, but what I read in the papers is that si Vice President Binay wants Manny Pangilinan as his running mate...Pero sa akin lang, ang tingin ko ata dun sa MVP ay 'yung Most Valuable Prisoner. Hindi ba ako 'yun?" Estrada said. 

 

It has been reported that Binay discussed with business tycoon, Manny V. Pangilinan, also referred to as MVP, his intention to have the latter as his runningmate for 2016 elections but Pangilinan declined.

 

Asked to comment on his brother's statement, Ejercito said: “Hindi natin alam sa kanya, but as of now, wala pa talagang napag-uusapan.”

 

Ejercito and Estrada's rift deepened after the former signed a recommendation of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to file charges against the latter and two other senators, Juan Ponce Enrile and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel fund scam said to be orchestrated by businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.

 

Ejercito, meanwhile, hit the ongoing Blue Ribbon Sub-committee probe on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II and other alleged anomalous transactions of the Makati City government during the incumbency of Binay as mayor.

 

“I stopped attending the Blue Ribbon Committee hearings. Masyado nang politically-charged e. Kapag siyempre naka-on na ang camera, iba ang nagiging aksyon ng ilang senators...It's more of 'in aid of election' than 'in aid of legislation,'” Ejercito said.

 

He said it is better for the senators to let the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the issue and channel the Senate's resources to hearing priority measures that would help improve the economy and address the looming power crisis.

 

“Ang Ombudsman at COA naman talaga ang may real jurisdiction dito. At least their investigation would be based on evidence and not on political motivations,” Ejercito said.

 

Binay, his son incumbent Makati Mayor Erwin “Junjun” Binay and 21 other officials of Makati City are facing plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged overpricing of the 11-storey Makati building.

 

COA commissioner Grace Pulido-Tan had earlier said that the Commission will conduct an independent audit investigation on the alleged anomolous Makati building project. —KG, GMA News