Vice President Jejomar Binay’s refusal to appear in last Thursday’s Senate blue ribbon committee hearing may or may not plunge his popularity to record low levels. But it will send the wrong signal to the public which expected him to answer decisively the corruption charges leveled against him.
Aside from interviews wherein he lamented that the Senate blue ribbon committee is “crucifying” him before the bar of public opinion, the vice president’s only visible defense came in a televised address at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where he was surrounded and cheered on by supporters as he railed against his critics.
But unless there’s another whistleblower with no identified political agenda, we can only wonder how long the Senate blue ribbon committee can keep up its investigation without losing public interest on the charges against Binay.
From the Makati City Hall Building II to the Batangas property, the Senate blue ribbon committee has thrown nearly everything but the kitchen sink at Binay and 2016 is still quite far away.
The vice president and his most ardent supporters may only hope that he can ride out the storm of controversy created by the Senate investigation by virtue of the Filipino’s short-term memory which made them accept and vote for the likes of the Marcoses and their ilk.
The vice president can quit the Aquino Cabinet anytime and still manage to visit Cebu and other parts of the country to drum up his badly beaten image but without a Cabinet post – Binay is said to head the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), Pag-Ibig and Social Housing Finance Corp. – he wouldn’t have ready access to government funds that he could extend to indigent settlers who would be a ready base of voters in the elections.
Yet, Binay isn’t so untouchable that he could afford to ignore the most persistent of charges against him. While time is on his side, the vice president can ill afford to confront the charges against him in a public forum like a Senate blue ribbon committee hearing or a debate with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
The vice president is said to be entertaining this prospect more seriously than the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing but debates are usually centered on issues, rather than personalities.
Not that the corruption charges against Binay should be ignored but these are better served in court which is what the vice president’s allies want, away from public scrutiny and left to gather dust.
Still, the Senate blue ribbon committee inquiry should go on but should also not cloud other issues of corruption raised against President Aquino’s allies like Senate President Franklin Drilon.
If anything, at least the investigations on Binay and Drilon will inform Filipinos on whom not to vote for two years from now.