Binay close to choosing running mate

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday he is close to choosing his running mate for the 2016 national elections.

The Vice President made the pronouncement in a roundtable discussion at TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong City with News5, InterAksyon.com, BusinessWorld, The Philippine STAR, Bloomberg Philippines, and executives of the MVP Group of Companies.

Binay, however, remained mum on the identities of the prospective vice presidential candidates of his party, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), saying he does not want any of them to suffer the same persecution he has been getting from the administration.

But he admitted Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is one those being considered vice presidential candidate of the opposition UNA.

Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco, UNA president, said the party is expected to announce its choice before the end of the month.

In the same forum, Binay reiterated that he wants to be a unifying leader if elected president next year.

Asked why he was considering Marcos as running mate considering that the latter was a son of the late dictator, the former human rights lawyer replied, “it’s time to move on.”

“We have to move on. In fact, I want to reiterate what I have been saying. I want to be known, under my administration, we have a unifying and healing administration,” he said. “Enough of this, let’s move on. Human rights is not an issue. That’s not even applicable. Bongbong is not President Marcos. It’s over,” he said.

“The debacle is already from the past. The human rights that we fought for is over, supposed to be martial law, but it’s no longer martial law,” he said.

Asked whether he is considering Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Binay said “he’s one of those being considered.”

At least five prospective vice presidential candidates – all prominent individuals – are on the list prepared by UNA’s selection committee, Tiangco said.

Insensitivity

Also at the TV5 Network forum, Binay said Malacañang’s rejection of a bill seeking to lower personal and corporate income taxes was proof of the  “insensitivity” of the Aquino administration.

“It’s (bill on income tax) already moot and academic; if that is their (administration) position this will not move in Congress,” Binay said in the roundtable discussion.

The Vice President also said corporate taxes must be reduced to a “meaningful and reasonable” rate.

On Thursday, Malacañang rejected a bill filed in the House of Representatives that seeks to lower the taxes paid by fixed-income earners, saying the administration could not risk losing the gains of the robust economy.

Binay is pushing for reforms in the country’s personal income taxation scheme, saying existing tax brackets must be adjusted to current inflation rates.

“Our tax system must be seen as fair – meaning, those with fat pay checks pay higher taxes than those whose pay checks are less – and inflation-adjusted tax brackets, albeit reduction of tax revenues, is simply fairness,” the vice president said.

Citing data from the Tax Management Association of the Philippines, Binay said the Philippines has the highest income tax in Asia at 32 percent for those with at least P500,000 annual income.

“We even outdid the richest countries in the ASEAN like Brunei where there is zero income tax and Singapore at two percent,” he said.

Marikina Rep. Romero Federico Quimbo has filed House Bill No. 4829, which seeks to provide tax relief to the middle and lower class.

Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate also filed House Bill 540, seeking to exempt low-income families earning a maximum of P396,000 annually from income tax. 

FOI supporter

Meanwhile, Binay also urged the House of Representatives to pass the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

Binay, who is facing various corruption allegations, said all transactions entered into by the government should be made public. “That’s part of transparency,” Binay said.