Binay gains support of Sorsogon gov
SORSOGON CITY, Sorsogon– United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay has gained the support of Gov. Paul Lee, a local political clan patriarch.
Lee announced his support for opposition chieftain Binay Wednesday afternoon following a rally held at the jam-packed Sorsogon Provincial Gymnasium.
Lee is the husband of Mayor Sally Lee and father of Provincial Administrator Robert Lee Rodriguez, respectively. Incidentally, Mayor Lee was with UNA but joined the ruling Liberal Party (LP) with her son only last September and have sworn to carry the candidacy of administration bet Mar Roxas.
“Ito na ‘yong katabi ko.Hindi naman pwedeng magsinungaling. ‘Di namanpwedengmagsinungaling ‘yong mata ninyo (I’m picking the one beside me. It can’t lie. Your eyes can’t lie),” the elder Lee said in vouching for Binay.
Rumor has it that Governor Lee was shifting his support from Roxas to independent candidate Senator Grace Poe even before Binay set foot on Bicol region last Tuesday.
The provincial executive said these were just rumors.
“I tell the people, thank you very much for coming. You displayed your enthusiasm behind VP Binay’s candidacy. I’m happy because I can feel the pulse of the people,” Lee said.
Binay-Chiz If there’s one thing that the governorhas no plan of changing, it’s his choice for vice president – Poe’s running mate and Sorsogon’s own Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
“Siyempre Chiz Escudero ako at Jojo Binay (I’m for Chiz Escudero and Jojo Binay, of course),” Lee said.
Asked why he was choosing Escudero, Lee answered that the senator has “many supporters, many admirers” in Sorsogon.
Lee’s insistence on Escudero means that he can’t carry Binay’s own running mate, Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II.
“He can understand. Kaibigan ko ‘yon personal (He’s my personal friend)... he will not feel bad,” Lee said of Honasan, a former Reformed the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) leader.
The governor said it just so happens that the province has stronger ties with Escudero.
“We had a long association with Escudero...Greg is a friend but he stays in Manila. He doesn’t visit here. So, our relations are weak,” he explained.
For his part, Binay didn’t seem to have any strong emotion toward Lee’s backing of “Binay-Chiz.”
“Let’s just see the results of the upcoming elections,” the Vice President said.
Hey big spender Binay also challenged the claim of a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report naming him as the top campaign advertisements spender.
Binay said he received information that some of his rivals for the Palace seat are already at the spending limit imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). He did not mention names.
“We haven’t reached the limit. Please check on the others, I heard that they’re already at the limit, said the Vice President, who was accompanied in the sortie by UNA senatorial bet Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.
“That means we’re not the highest spenders,” Binay pointed out.