Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – As he made his rounds in Quezon City on Wednesday (September 2), Vice President Jejomar Binay called the ongoing investigation on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) by the Office of the Ombudsman nothing but “drama.”
Binay believes nothing will happen in the probe involving President Benigno Aquino III and Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad.
“Drama. Walang mangyayari,” Binay said in an interview at the Amoranto Complex in Quezon City.
[Translation: “It’s drama. Nothing will happen.”]
The vice president said the Office of the Ombudsman is conducting the probe just to look good and dispel charges of selective justice under this administration.
“Sinasabi ko lamang [‘yan] on the basis of what had happened in the past. You can already speculate what will be the ending,” he added.
Binay pointed out that if the Ombudsman is really investigating Abad, the Cabinet secretary should have been suspended by now.
Binay to push for probe of Aquino administration
If he should become president, Binay vowed that he would push for the investigation of Aquino and Abad, and the implementation of the Disbursement A DAP.
“Kung may ebidensya po, bakit hindi? Kailangan ay ‘yong may mga kasalanan sa administrasyong ito, lalong-lalo na si Mr. Abad. Pangit naman po ‘yon (kung hindi). Magiging selective justice. Kung may ebidensya, dapat ihabla,” he said.
[Translation: “If there’s evidence, why not? We need to hold accountable those in this administration who did something wrong, especially Mr. Abad. Otherwise, it won’t look good. It will become selective justice. If there’s evidence, they should be sued.”]
As for Aquino, the vice president said he would leave it to the Department of Justice to determine whether or not the president could be charged.
The Ombudsman has ordered the suspension of the vice president’s son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay twice this year on corruption charges.
