Binay eyes House seat in 2019

MANILA, Philippines — Former vice president Jejomar Binay will be running for Congress in the 2019 polls while his daughter, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, will seek re-election.

“I am confirming that former vice president Binay will run as representative for the First District (of Makati City) under Mayor Abby’s ticket,” Joey Salgado, spokesman for the elder Binay, said.

Binay lost in the 2016 presidential elections to former Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

It was the younger Binay who announced at a flag ceremony earlier yesterday that her father was aiming for a seat in Congress, as she awarded him a “Certificate of Honor” and a “Certificate of Loyalty” in appreciation of his long years of service to the city.

Binay served as mayor from 1986 to 1988 and from 2001 to 2010. He was not the first among top officials of the country to run for lower post after finishing their term.

After her term as president, Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was elected congresswoman. Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada was president before he became city chief executive.

In her speech, the younger Binay asked her detractors to focus on helping the nation advance instead of engaging in “dirty politics.”

She stressed she could easily parry accusations raised against her by adhering to clean and principled leadership.

Informed of Binay’s plan, Estrada said he is giving the former Makati City mayor full support.

“That is most welcome. That is the right decision to keep him busy. He is a lawyer. He’s been a mayor of Makati for several decades. He has all the qualifications and experience to be a better public servant,” Estrada told The STAR over the phone.

Estrada ran for president in tandem with Binay in the 2010 presidential elections. He lost to then senator Benigno Aquino III but Binay won the vice presidential race against former interior secretary Mar Roxas, Aquino’s runningmate.

Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, for her part, said she’d rather get reelected than run for senator despite her good showing in a survey of potential senatorial candidates in next year’s polls.

Carpio is running for reelection under the newly formed Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) local party.

HNP earlier said it has a list of possible candidates for the local elections next year from mayor, vice mayor, representatives of the city’s three districts as well as their respective city councilors, but would not divulge names in the list.

Overwhelmed

Carpio said she is thankful for and overwhelmed by a recent Pulse Asia survey showing her in the top five of possible senatorial hopefuls for 2019.

Sen. Grace Poe topped the survey of possible winning senators.

“I am overwhelmed by the trust and confidence. I think our fellow Filipinos are interested in the work that my administration, both now and in 2010, has done in Davao City,” she said.

“If the Dabawenyos will re-elect me, I would like to continue working for Davao City as mayor. Thank you,” Carpio said.

The Pulse Asia survey of 1,800 registered voter-respondents showed 70.1 percent voter preference for Poe.

Trailing Poe are Sen. Cynthia Villar, Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Nancy Binay, and Carpio. – With Edith Regalado, Edu Punay, Jose Rodel Clapano