Binay-Duterte ‘bromance’ at 2nd presidential debate

MANILA, Philippines – He was given a chance to ask any question of a rival who had outranked him in the latest voter preference survey on presidential candidates, but Vice President Jejomar Binay chose not to.

Binay had picked Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the face-off round of the second presidential debate at the University of the Philippines Cebu on Sunday, March 20. He was supposed to have a one-on-one with a fellow candidate, based on his question of choice.

Instead of a question, though, Binay made a pronouncement: “Wala akong itatanong. Pareho kaming qualified na maging president of the Philippines.”

To this, Duterte said: “Wala rin akong masagot, mas qualified siya sa aking maging presidente (I also have no response, he is more qualified than me to be president).”

#PHVoteBinay on #PHVoteDuterte: I have nothing to ask, we are both qualified. #PHVote #PiliPinasDebates2016 https://t.co/dV5JX9wJhd

— Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) March 20, 2016

The Davao mayor said there were 4 candidates to choose from onstage – “a beautiful lady, a long-time mayor like me,” referring to Senator Grace Poe and Binay, and a “smiling” former interior Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.

After Duterte repeated his compliment for Binay and the crowd cheered, he told the audience: “Naniwala na kayo?” (You fell for that?)

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, with whom Duterte was observedly chummy during the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City, skipped the event for health reasons. But she was still there through social media.

While Binay had no question for Duterte, the latter raised a question that the Vice President might have asked him in the early part of the debate. This was during the round on the Freedom of Information Bill which quickly mutated into corruption allegations against Binay, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer.

When it was his turn to react, Duterte himself raised the issue hurled against him by UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan that he can be charged with technical malversation for alleged misuse of the city’s special education fund. 

“I’d like to be very frank to you, Vice President. Sir, marami kang kaso sa COA, pati sa Ombudsman. Public knowledge naman at ako naman sinasabi ng UNA na there’s malversation (Sir, you have a lot of cases with COA, even the Ombudsman. This is public knowledge. And then UNA is saying that there’s malversation in my case),” he said.

He then reiterated his challenge to Binay to withdraw right then and there if there was truth to any of the allegations against him.

The debate is co-organized by the Commission on Elections, TV5, Philippine Star, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, and UP Cebu. – Rappler.com