Aquino throws jab at Vice President

MANILA – President Benigno Aquino has told Vice President Jejomar Binay that he is free to leave the Cabinet instead of continuously criticising his administration.

Aquino told reporters that instead of merely criticizing his administration, Binay – who is eyeing the presidency in 2016 – has the obligation to share what he thinks are solutions to the government’s problems.

“Kung palagay niya meron kaming kulang na ginagawa, miyembro siya ng Gabinete, e di abisuhan niya kami, kung hindi man mag-advise, paano natin i-improve ‘yung sistema. At hindi choice iyon, obligasyon niya, miyembro siya ng Gabinete.”

“Kung palagay naman niyang mali ang direksyon namin e di siyempre malaya rin siyang hindi na sumama sa aming mga kilusan. Pero at the minimum, as Vice President of the land, meron siyang mga criticisms, siguro kailangan, para constructive, meron ring solutions,” Aquino told reporters on Monday.

Aquino said he was only able to read the first two paragraphs of the media report where Binay supposedly criticized the administration.

Binay, who is also head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, has repeatedly raised various issues in different events about the woes many Filipinos were complaining about, among them the public train system, rising criminality and other concerns.

“May kalayaan ang lahat na kumilos basta nasa ayon, umaayon sa batas sa kung ano ang palagay nilang tamang dapat gagawin. Pero ulitin ko lang, kung meron kang palagay na pagkukulang ng gobyerno, miyembro ka ng gobyerno, pangalawa kang pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa, may obligasyon ka na ibahagi ang kaalaman mo para magkaroon ng mas hustong solusyon kung palagay mo meron kang mas magagawa,” Aquino said.

Aquino is pushing Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as his presidential bet, although he has not public endorsed him.

Binay’s criticism of Aquino coincided with the Senate investigation on his alleged ill-gotten wealth and the overpriced Makati City Hall building constructed during his time as mayor. He denied all accusations against him. (Mindanao Examiner)