Binay Cancel Debate Against Trillanes

Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday suddenly announced he was backing out from his scheduled televised debate with a senior member of the Senate on the issue that Binay allegedly benefitted from the huge kickbacks he received from favoured contractors when he was the mayor of suburban Makati City in Metro Manila.

“Huwag na natin ituloy. Ayoko na kung ganyan sinasabi niya (Let’s not push through with it. I am backing out if that’s what he’s saying),” Binay told journalists when asked for his comment on Trillanes’ claim that the Vice President, being a lawyer, has the advantage in the debate.

Speaking with reporters at the Senate yesterday, Trillanes said that the Vice President, a reserve colonel of the Philippine Marines, should return his uniform to the Armed Forces of the Philippines because the “Marines never back down.”

Trillanes also said that in backing out from their debate, Binay was “untrustworthy” and did not deserve the “honour and respect” from the 100 million Filipinos.

“I don’t want to appear that I am taking advantage of it,” Binay said, referring to the debate. “My only advantage is we will talk about facts.”

The decision is final, he said.

“I don’t want to be accused of
being opportunistic and oppressive,” he said.

Asked when he decided to back out of the debate, Binay replied: “Ngayon lang (just now).”

Binay said the corruption allegations against him have not affected his performance ratings.

At the time, Trillanes said that he trusted Binay as a member of the opposition and as someone who projected himself as a courageous soldier.

When Trillanes was brought to Camp Crame the next day where he was detained after the hotel siege, he said that Binay arrived with some lawyers in tow and apologized to him for what he said was a miscommunication.

“He was apologetic. He said that he got the wrong information. But I cannot understand this because he gave his word, the day, the place and time but he did not show up,” Trillanes said.

“He was projecting himself as Rambotito at the time. I was also swayed by his pretentions. He should just return his uniform to the Marines because the Marines never back down,” he added.

“That is the way of Vice President Binay. He led us on and it is very hard to trust someone like that,” he said.

Trillanes said that he would not stop his crusade against the Vice President until he is sent to jail for his alleged crimes

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