SERVING THE butcher’s role in cutting not only Binay’s lead but his very political life to pieces is Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Catty, cantankerous even, Cayetano has made apparently his life’s mission to make mincemeat of the Veep, even at the point of spewing strange analogies and apparent nonsequiturs in his failed attempts, so far, to draw Binay into the lion’s den that is the Senate.
As in that ANC’s Headline interview, to wit: “Hindi ba ridiculous na? Can you imagine me, tanungin mo ako about any issue. Tanungin mo ako about ghost employees, tanungin mo ako about whatever — anong hair product ang ginagamit ko, bakit ganito kulay ko. Sasabihin ko sayo ‘Pulitika lang yan’…
“Pag gabi-gabi late ka umuwi tapos may lipstick ka dito (points at cheek), sinabi ng asawa mo ‘Saan ka galing, bakit ka may lipstick?’ Sabihin mo ‘Darling, pulitika lang yan. Sinisiraan lang ako ng kalaban ko dahil mataas ako sa survey.’”
Of course, we all know that Cayetano has also publicised his ardent desire to run for president in 2016. Alas, he was a virtual non-entity in the last survey of presidential wannabes. So, it is fairly easy to understand where his attacks on Binay are coming from.
But there’s more. And much more. The senator is himself facing a graft complaint for the alleged misuse of his PDAF from 2007 to 2009, coupled with the alleged “inordinate increase” in his net worth.
This, even as his wife Taguig Mayor Maria Laarni “Lani” Cayetano is the subject of a separate plunder complaint over the alleged hiring of 3,188 ghost employees for her city at a cost of P314.25 million in public funds.
Jointly, they are slapped with a graft complaint over the purchase of 18 multi-cabs amounting to P498,000 each.
Galit ang magnanakaw sa kapwa magnanakaw, as the street wag says. Quick , even arbitrary, prejudgment there, sans the least semblance of due process. It cannot be helped though, given the political parallelism between the Binays and the Cayetanos.
Indeed, the strong impression that the Binays make the very template of the Cayetanos’ political dynasty. On one hand: VP Jejomar Binay, Senator Nancy Binay, Rep. Abigail Binay, Mayor Jun- Jun Binay and former Mayor Elenita Binay.
On the other: Senator Rene Cayetano (+), Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Senator Pia Cayetano, Rep. Lino Cayetano and Mayor Lani Cayetano. Why, even the latest TV political ads of Cayetano – Sa Taguig pwede pala… — bear a most striking resemblance to those of Binay in 2013 – Ganito kami sa Makati…
Ergo, what the Binays did in Makati, the Cayetanos can do in Taguig. Heaven forbid! What is it they say? Those you hate most are the ones you would like to be most.
(Past Zona Libre columns can be accessed at pulitikaatibapa.blogspot.com. Even older ones, dating from 2006 to April 2, 2014, at acaesar.blogspot.com)
