HUNDREDS of people witness the clash of views during the second debate of presidential candidates held at the Performing Arts Hall of the University of the Philippines Cebu in Cebu City. TONEE DESPOJO/JUNJIE MENDOZA/CEBU DAILY NEWS
CEBU CITY鈥擧is rivals for the presidency ganged up on Vice President Jejomar Binay, trying to pin him down on corruption allegations against him during the second presidential debate in Cebu City on Sunday night.
The air crackled with electricity, tempers flared and angry words flew as independent candidate Sen. Grace Poe, the ruling Liberal Party鈥檚 Mar Roxas and Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban ng Bayan standard-bearer Rodrigo Duterte聽 took turns whacking Binay, who is accused in the Office of the Ombudsman of pocketing billions of pesos in graft money from overpriced infrastructure contracts when he was mayor of Makati City.
Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, presidential candidate of the People鈥檚 Reform Party, was not there to join the battering of Binay. She announced last week that she was skipping the second debate to participate in a clinical trial for a new cancer treatment.
The graft charges against Binay dominated the debate, overshadowing other issues raised, including national security, climate change and tax reforms.
The debate at the University of the Philippines Cebu was supposed to start at 5 p.m., but it was delayed by more than an hour because of a fracas over the use of notes.
Binay wanted to use notes during the debate, but Roxas, Poe and Duterte protested, citing debate rules prohibiting notes.
The head of the TV5 news and public affairs department and debate moderator, Luchi Cruz-Valdez, apologized for the delay, calling it a serious case of 鈥渕iscommunication.鈥�
鈥淭he case against my son is still in the stage of allegation. If there鈥檚 conviction, there should be punishment. But the thing is, an allegation is not conviction. If they say 鈥榶ou鈥檙e corrupt, that鈥檚 an accusation.鈥� For anybody to say you鈥檙e corrupt, there should be a court judgment you鈥檙e corrupt.鈥�
She took responsibility of the delay, and the debate began at 6:35 p.m.
Brawl erupts
Within minutes of the confrontation, the candidates showed that they were ready for a brawl, unlike in the first presidential debate in Cagayan de Oro City on Feb. 21 when they were nice to each other.
Binay found himself on the receiving end of accusations of dirty deals and transactions during his decades-long stint as the mayor of Makati City, drawing punches from Poe, who engaged him in a bruising exchange, Roxas and Duterte.
In one of the most hostile exchanges, Binay and Poe butted heads over the Vice President鈥檚 corruption cases and the junior senator鈥檚 citizenship.
Poe got the ball rolling by making an analogy about Binay鈥檚 refusal to abide by debate rules by bringing notes to the forum to his respect鈥攐r lack of it鈥攆or rule of law.
Citizenship
In retaliation, Binay brought up Poe鈥檚 citizenship woes.
鈥淲e鈥檙e talking about rule of law, but you always say you鈥檙e a true Filipino. How can you be called a true Filipino if you swore allegiance [to the United States], and you are ashamed of your origins?鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to be brutally frank with the Vice President. Sir, you鈥檙e facing a string of cases before the COA and Ombudsman, that is public knowledge. And as UNA claims, I鈥檓 facing a case of technical malversation 鈥� If you will sign the waiver, and if indeed I鈥檓 facing a case, we will withdraw from the presidential derby.鈥�
鈥淗ow can you say I am ashamed of being a Filipino? You say you are No. 1 in protecting OFWs (overseas Filipino workers), and you are saying those who live abroad have no right to serve,鈥� Poe retorted
鈥淚鈥檓 not saying you鈥檙e an OFW,鈥� Binay began again.
But Poe cut him: 鈥淚鈥檓 not saying I鈥檓 an OFW. I鈥檓 saying I am someone who went to another land because I wanted the opportunity for a better life. This is not about color. You may be living here, yet you stole money.鈥�
鈥淵ou speak as if there is already a ruling against me,鈥� Binay said.
Poe retorted: 鈥淒id I say it was you who stole? I did not say it was you.鈥�
Binay accused Poe of being 鈥減art of the conspiracy鈥� against him.
Roxas launched into the details of the corruption allegations against Binay.
He cited some of the findings of the Commission on Audit, such as hospital beds that supposedly cost P16,000 but were purchased at P1.5 million, and ultrasound machine worth P1.3 million but was bought for P1.5 million.
Binay did not answer the question point by point, noting instead that 鈥渋n the Sandiganbayan, many cases have been defeated because they were only doing table surveys.鈥�
鈥淵es I鈥檓 slow to act, and when it comes to stealing, I don鈥檛 act鈥� Mar Roxas has nothing to do with the alleged irregularity in the MRT contract.鈥�
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 look at the price in assessing the quality of what you buy. Let me repeat, only the courts can judge,鈥� he said.
Selective justice
Roxas also found himself defending the Aquino administration on allegations of corruption and selective justice.
Poe said the administration鈥檚 鈥渒ung walang corrupt, walang mahirap鈥� slogan remained just that.
Administration allies get projects and are spared from charges. Only those from the opposition are charged, she said.
Roxas disputed Poe鈥檚 statement. 鈥淟P, non-LP, all face charges were are removed from their posts. You can see that. That is the record, that is the truth, that is not a figment of the imagination,鈥� he said.
Lost to corruption
Duterte said allocations in the budget were good, but part of the money was lost to corruption.
The pugnacious mayor of Davao City reserved much of his ammunition for Roxas, whom he called at one point 鈥渁 fraud,鈥� accusing President Aquino鈥檚 chosen presidential candidate of faking his economics degree from University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 Wharton School.
Roxas said the problem with Duterte was that he only looked at the 鈥渢ruth鈥� in his own mind without checking the facts.
鈥淭his is not about color of skin. It鈥檚 about love of country. You may be staying here, but if you鈥檙e stealing money鈥� That鈥檚 why I鈥檓 running for President鈥攖o give an opportunity to Filipinos, and not just stay here and steal.鈥�
He said Wharton had already confirmed that he graduated from that school.
Climate change
On climate change and the Philippines鈥� commitment to reduce carbon emissions while depending on coal plants for energy, Duterte said the Philippines was not a major contributor to carbon emissions.
Duterte said First World countries, which are highly industrialized, are the bigger offenders.
Roxas said it was important to begin the transition to clean energy because the Philippines bore the brunt of the effects of climate change.
Poe said the first thing that needed to be done was to evacuate 13 million residents in high-risk areas and build dams, water entrapment facilities and flood control projects.
Roxas said Poe鈥檚 suggestions were just mitigation measures. If he becomes President, he said, he would give incentives to those who would pursue renewable energy projects.
Security for tight for the debate organized by the Commission on Elections, Philippine Star and TV5. Some 780 policemen were deployed to UP Cebu聽 and the surroundings of the venue to ensure public safety. With reports from Kristine Angeli Sabillo, Inquirer.net; and Connie E. Fernandez, Ador Vincent Mayol, Victor Silva and Michelle Padayhag, Inquirer Visayas
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