Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — As he faced the public for the first time since his resignation from the Cabinet, Vice President Jejomar Binay again slammed the Aquino administration on Friday (June 26) — this time, for not being pro-poor and for playing favorites.
Related: VP Binay speaks up after Cabinet resignation, slams Aquino administration
While he thanked President Benigno Aquino III for letting him be part of the Cabinet, Binay also said he was disappointed in the Aquino administration for not being able to help impoverished Filipinos.
Binay aired his grievances during a market and city tour in Navotas with Rep. Toby Tiangco, who is also the interim president of Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance.
“Nagtagal ako ng limang taon dahil gusto kong makatulong sa mahirap. Pero may hangganan din ang pagtitiis lalo na’t nakikita ko na pagkalipas ng limang taon ay laganap pa rin ang kahirapan,” Binay said in a speech addressed to the media.
[Translation: “I stayed (in the Cabinet) for five years because I wanted to be able to help the poor. But I could only take so much especially when I saw that after five years, poverty remains.”]
Binay, who served as the head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), also pointed out deficiencies in the government’s budget allocation when it comes to housing concerns.
After complaining that funds — supposedly for housing agencies — were given to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) instead of the rightful agencies, the vice president implied that Aquino favored Cabinet members who are under the same party when it came to distribution of funds.
“Ganyan ang nangyayari sa pamahalaan ngayon. Pulitika ang nagdidikta kung sino ang bibiyayaan ng mas malaking budget, lalung lalo na ‘yong kanilang mga kakandidato,” Binay said.
[Translation: “This is what’s happening now to our goverment. Politics dictates who is given the bigger budget, especially those who are partymates.”]
Binay further explained that the budget he was pertaining to shouldn’t have been awarded to the DILG because building houses isn’t the department’s role.
Binay fires back
The vice president also defended himself against statements released by Aquino and Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas, who reacted to a speech Binay delivered after his resignation.
Read: President Aquino to VP Binay: People know who’s telling the truth
While Aquino told the public that Binay, in his five-year stint as Cabinet member, never raised the concerns he has been revealing the past few days, the vice president denied this.
“Baka naman nakalimutan lang ng Pangulo na sa mga malalaking isyu, kagaya ng Zamboanga siege at Disbursement Acceleration Program o DAP, nag-usap kami at sinabi ko ang aking saloobin,” Binay said.
[Translation: “Perhaps the President has forgotten that when it came to the big issues like the Zamboanga siege and the Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP, we talked and I was able to tell him my concerns.”]
During the media meeting, Binay also spotlighted Roxas, who reportedly commented that Binay’s speech made him laugh.
Turning to the the country’s failing Metro Rail Transit system, Binay lashed back and said there was nothing funny about what Filipinos have to go through every day.
To emphasize his point, Binay added: “At lalong hindi nakakatawa na sa harap ng pinagmamalaking pag-unlad, marami sa ating kababayan ang lubog sa hirap at nagugutom. Seryosong usapin ito Mr. Roxas. Hindi katatawanan.”
[Translation: “And despite bragging about progress made, it is definitely not amusing that many Filipino are neck-deep in poverty and hunger. This is a serious matter, Mr. Roxas. This is no joke.”
Malacañan to give a reply
The Palace, meanwhile, pointed out that Binay can look into the government’s programs for the poor, as well as the budget that is allocated to these initiatives.
While Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, noted the vice president’s “stark turnaround” since his resignation from the Cabinet, Secretary Edwin Lacierda, presidential spokesperson, said that they would “gently address” the issues that Binay raised on Friday.
Also read: VP Binay steps down from Cabinet
CNN Philippines’ Joyce Ilas and Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
