All Smiles. Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay in whispering huddle with Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda.
Photo by Ding Cervantes
ANGELES CITY- Appealing for prayers for the success of his perceived opponent in the presidential race in 2016, Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay arrived here yesterday with the hoopla of a political campaign.
Kapampangan political allies of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo showed up to welcome Binay despite recent events that have fissured their strong bond during the Arroyo administration.
“He will have the best of everything, let us pray that he succeeds as secretary of DILG (Department of Interior and Local Governments),” Binay said when asked whether the recent appointment of Mar Roxas to the DILG post would boost his bid for president in 2016.
Binay has admitted his interest to run for president in 2016, amid nagging reports that Roxas, who lost to Binay in the vice presidential race in 2012, is also angling for the presidency.
Apart from appealing for prayers and wishing success for Roxas, Binay declined to comment further on the issue.
But his arrival to distribute titles to 175 families at the EPZA resettlement here at 10 a.m. yesterday had the sounds and sights of a political event.
Some 1,000 resettlement folk cheered as Binay’s arrival was announced, ushered in by loudspeakers blaring a political jingle which, a member of his staff said, was used when Binay ran for vice president in 2012. The jingle was reportedly titled “Kay Binay, Gaganda ang Buhay.”
Binay was welcomed by Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda, Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, 1st district Rep. Carmelo Lazatin, and former Mayor Francis Nepomuceno who all are seeking either re-election or other political posts in next year’s local elections.
Binay and Pamintuan both referred to Pineda as “sure unopposed winner” in her bid for re-election as governor next year, despite various speculations that she would seek another post with the prodding of national political figures.
This, even as Binay was openly cautious in dealing with Pamintuan and Lazatin, former close allies in the Arroyo government, who recently had a falling out. Instead of seeking re-election, Lazatin said he would run as independent against Pamintuan’s mayoral re-election bid.
While Lazatin said his decision was prompted by his objection to tax schemes in the city government, sources said he was moved by reports that Pamintuan had vowed to support the congressional bid in the first district of Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao.
Nepomuceno, who lost to Pamintuan in the 2010 polls, said in an interview yesterday that he would run for Congress against Guiao.
Pamintuan, a former cabinet secretary under the Arroyo government, had founded a local party called Partido ABE Kapampangan under which he would seek re-election next year.
Asked whether his UNA party would adopt ABE as ally in next year’s polls, Binay said “I do not want to comment for now, since both my friends (Pamintuan and Lazatin) are here present.”
Lazatin, however, said he would oppose Pamintuan as independent candidate.
