Jejomar Binay

This article is about the current Philippine vice-president. For his son, see Jejomar Binay, Jr..
Jejomar Binay
Jejomar Binay
15th Vice President of the Philippines
Assumed office
June 30, 2010
President Benigno Aquino
Preceded by Noli de Castro
Mayor of Makati
In office
June 30, 2001 – June 30, 2010
Deputy Ernesto Mercado
Preceded by Elenita Binay
Succeeded by Jejomar Binay
In office
February 2, 1988 – June 30, 1998
Preceded by Sergio Santos (Acting)
Succeeded by Elenita Binay
In office
February 27, 1986 – December 32, 1987
Preceded by Nemesio Yabut
Succeeded by Sergio Santos (Acting)
Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
In office
June 30, 1998 – January 20, 2001
Preceded by Prospero Oreta
Succeeded by Benjamin Abalos
In office
1990–1991
Preceded by Imelda Marcos (Governor)
Succeeded by Ignacio Bunye
Personal details
Born Jesús Jose Cabauatan Binay
(1942-11-11) November 11, 1942
Manila, Philippines
Political party PDP-Laban (Before 2014)
United Nationalist Alliance (2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		 United Opposition (2005–2010)
United Nationalist Alliance (2012–2014)
Spouse(s) Elenita Sombillo
Children Nancy
Mar-Len Abigail
Jejomar
Marita Angeline
Joanna Marie Blanca
Alma mater University of the Philippines, Diliman
University of Santo Tomas
National Defense College of the Philippines
Philippine Christian University
University of the Philippines Open University
Religion Roman Catholicism
Website Government website
This article is part of a series about
Jejomar Binay
  • Proposed position of Jejomar Binay

Vice President of the Philippines

Mayor of Makati City

MMDA Chairman

Jejomar "Jojo" Cabauatan Binay, Sr.[1]^[A] (born November 11, 1942)^[B] is the fifteenth Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines under President Benigno S. Aquino III. He also served as the president of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

He was appointed by former President Corazon Aquino as officer-in-charge of Makati City from 1986-1987. After his assignment, he was elected as Makati City mayor from 1988-1998.[2] During this term, he acted as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman from 1990 to 1991. In 2001, he was reelected as mayor until the end of his term in 2010.[2] He resigned as Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council and as Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers in June 22, 2015.[3]

Binay is a member of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), which is a coalition between the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino and the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino - Lakas ng Bayan. It was founded as an electoral alliance in 2012, and later became an official political party in 2014.

Early life

Jejomar Binay was born in Paco, Manila. The name "Jejomar" is a portmanteau of Jesus, Joseph, and Mary. He is the younger of two children of Diego "Jego" Medrano Binay, a librarian from Bauan, Batangas, a school teacher from Cabagan, Isabela. He had an older sibling who died before he was born making him the only one who survived childhood.[1] After being orphaned at the age of nine, he was adopted by his uncle, Ponciano Binay.[4][5]

Binay finished basic education at the Philippine Normal College[2] Training Department and graduated from the University of the Philippines Preparatory School.

He went to the University of the Philippines Diliman for college and graduated in 1962 with a degree in Political Science.[2]

He continued on to the UP College of Law and graduated in 1967 then passed the bar examinations in 1968. He got a master's degree from the University of Sto. Tomas in 1980 and a master's degree in National Security Administration from the National Defense College of the Philippines. He took up Strategic Economic Program in the Center for Research and Communication. He enrolled in a Non-Resident and General Staff Course at the Command and General Staff College, AFP and joined the seniors executive fellow program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University. He earned a doctorate in Public Administration (Honoris Causa) from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, and Doctor of Humanities (Honoris Causa) from the Laguna State Polytechnic University. In 1993, he received a diploma in Land Use Program from the University of the Philippines. In 1996, he finished the Top Management Program at the Asian Institute of Management in Bali, Indonesia. He also took up the Joint Services and Command Staff course in the AFP. He also has a master's degree in Management at the Philippine Christian University and a diploma in Environmental and Natural Resources Management from the University of the Philippines Open University.[2]

Legal career

Upon passing the bar examination to be a lawyer, Binay took up human rights law. During the Martial Law period, he represented political prisoners in the 1970s for no charge.[6] After some time, he himself was detained.

It was also during the Marcos regime that Binay and other human rights lawyers created the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity, and Nationalism (MABINI)[7]

Political career

Makati mayor

First term

On February 27, 1986, Binay became one of President Corazon Aquino’s first appointed local officials after Mayor Nemesio I. Yabut died while in office during the EDSA Revolution.[8] He was elected in his own right on January 18, 1988 and was reelected on May 11, 1992 and on May 8, 1995.

He joined pro-democracy forces in preventing the mutinies against the Aquino administration from being successful. His active role in the defense of the Constitution earned him the nickname "Rambotito" (or little Rambo, after the screen hero), the Outstanding Achievement Medal and a special commendation from Aquino.

Second term

Binay in a meeting with municipal mayors held on September 20, 2010

On May 14, 2001, Binay reclaimed his post as mayor of Makati, winning over actor, TV host, and then-vice mayor Edu Manzano in a landslide and became a critic of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He won his second term on May 10, 2004 by a large margin against 1st district Councilor Oscar Ibay. He ran for his third and last term as mayor May 14, 2007 and won again by a significant margin beating incumbent Senator and actor Lito Lapid. His margin over Lapid has been considered as the largest margin in a local election in Makati City.[9]

Scandals

In October 2006, the Department of the Interior and Local Government issued a suspension order against then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado, and all members of the City Council following an accusation of 'ghost employees' on the city payroll by former Vice Mayor Roberto Brillante, a political rival.[10] Refusing to cooperate with the suspension order, he barricaded himself inside the Makati City Hall. Among those who expressed support were former President Corazon Aquino, actress Susan Roces - the widow of the late movie star and 2004 opposition presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. - and several Catholic bishops.[11][12] After a three-day stand-off, the Court of Appeals issued a temporary restraining order. Before it lapsed, the court issued an injunction order, thereby preventing the Office of the President from enforcing its suspension order until the case was resolved.[13]

Binay - together with his wife, Elenita, and nine others - was vindicated by the courts in a graft case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman over allegations of overpricing in the purchase of office furniture. Allegedly, he had irregular purchases worth ₱232 million from the years 1991-2006. The case was also filed by Brillante, who at that time was leading in Makati a Palace-supported signature campaign to amend the Constitution. The Sandiganbayan Third Division dismissed the graft case filed against him and his six co-accused for lack of factual basis even prior to Binay's arraignment.[14] Critics claim the suspension order was intended to distract attention from the government's own scandals.[15]

On May 2, 2007 the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) froze all the bank accounts of the city government of Makati and the personal accounts of then Mayor Binay and then Vice Mayor Mercado.

The BIR issued the order after it said the city still owed the BIR ₱1.1 billion in withholding taxes of city employees from 1999 to 2002. BIR revenue officer Roberto Baquiran signed and issued the warrant of garnishment against the bank accounts that belonged to Binay, Mercado, the city government and the city’s treasurer and accountant.

The city government protested the garnishment order, saying the city had already paid ₱200 million to the BIR as part of a settlement agreement agreed to by Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and former BIR chief Jose Buñag. The city also said the order was flawed, since Baquiran had no authority to issue writs of garnishment and freezing the personal accounts of Binay and Mercado were also unlawful.[16][17]

Ordered by the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), Binay was made to pay the deficiency in taxes amounting to more than ₱1.1 billion to the BIR, in December 2009.

The garnishment orders were eventually lifted by Malacañang Palace, but not until after Binay slammed the move as politically motivated and patently illegal.[18][19]

Binay's camp claimed and accused former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of political harassment. Because of this, as per the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), a suspension order was served against Binay over alleged corruption. The latter said that the tax obligations were already settled between the BIR and the Makati City government.

And again, barely a week before the local elections, the Ombudsman suspended him based on allegations made by a local candidate allied with Malacañan. It would be revealed that the charges were supported by falsified statements. In a repeat of the October 2006 incident, heavily armed policemen barged into the City Hall after office hours, forcibly opening the offices and occupying the building. He confronted police officials and representatives of the Department of Interior and Local Government, while hundreds of supporters once again swarmed the city hall quadrangle to show their support.[20]

The suspension order generated national media attention, and prompted even administration senatorial candidates to protest publicly, saying the action further undermined their chances in the elections.[21] Despite the controversy of this tax liability issue, Binay still won the position of vice president in 2010 by a landslide victory[22]

A photo of then Vice Presidential candidate and former Makati City Mayor Binay, with his rumored mistress, was leaked online.

Though he admitted to having an extramarital affair, he said that the leaked photo was part of "black propaganda" against him, because of his high ratings in the Vice Presidential survey conducted prior to the leaking of the photo.

The alleged "black propaganda" device had little to no effect on the campaign of Binay, who closed the gap of votes between him and leading vice presidential candidate Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas II in a formerly conducted survey. Despite the issue, Binay's landslide victory landed him the position of vice president.[23]

Vice Presidency

Makati City Hall Building II

Binay initially announced his bid for the presidency for the 2010 elections during his 66th birthday celebration at the Makati City Hall on November 11, 2008 but abandoned his bid in order to give way to the reelection bid of former President Estrada. He eventually became Estrada’s running mate and ran under the banner of Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-LABAN).

He initially showed a relatively poor performance in the public opinion polls, trailing behind Senators Loren Legarda and Mar Roxas, who was heavily favored to win the race, but his standings improved as the elections approached, overtaking Legarda and tying with Roxas in the final survey conducted.[24][25] He went on to narrowly defeat Roxas in the election by 700,000 votes.

Roxas filed an election protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal of the Supreme Court, which is still currently pending.

Binay took his oath as vice president on June 30, 2010, becoming the first local government official to do so.

He was appointed as chairman of the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) by President Noynoy Aquino, the same position held by his predecessor, Vice-President Noli de Castro and Presidential Adviser for OFW Concerns. He also heads the Task Force OFW which helps Overseas Filipino Workers who were maltreated by their employers to return to the Philippines with the assistance of the government.

Corruption

There are numerous corruption allegations against Binay dating from 2014 to the present time:

Issue Location ₱ amount           Remarks          
400-hectare farm[26] Rosario, Batangas
40-hectare farm[27] Bauan, Batangas
10-hectare mango orchard[28]
Two condominium units[29] Rockwell, Makati City 30 million Not mentioned in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN)
Three story mansion with elevator[30][31] Banuyo Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City Not mentioned in his SALN
House and lot[31][32] Orbit Street, Bel-Air II Village, Makati City Not mentioned in his SALN
House and lot[31][32] Palm Village, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City Not mentioned in his SALN
Rest House[31] Tali Beach, Batangas
Rest House[31] Puerto Azul, Cavite
Rest House[31] Tagaytay Highlands
Rest House[31] Alfonso, Cavite
Rest House[31] Zambales
Rest House[31] Pangasinan
More houses[31] Parañaque, Pasig, Mandaluyong, and Muntinlupa Cities
600 ghost employees[31][33] 3 million/ month Authorized by wife, Elenita Binay and Amigas
Wife Elenita's link to alleged deception in the public bidding for a supply contract[31] 72.06 million The supply contract was awarded to the Makati City government back in 2001.
Bogus charity project for sister city[31] 40 million
Bogus charity project for calamity fund for other provinces[31] 27 million
Bogus charity project for Project Aral Package[31] 22 million
Bogus charity project to send ambulances to other cities[31] 20 million
Infomercial being shown from 2009–present[31] 230 million Used funds of Makati Foundation Day
Komiks for Vice President Campaign[31] 15 million
Illegal canteen businesses[31] University of Makati and the Makati City Hall
Contract with Triforce Security Agency for the Makati City Hall[31] The security agency is owned by one of Binay's sons-in-law.
Contract with Red Hammer Construction and Services[31] The maintenance service is owned by another one of Binay's sons-in-laws.
Binay refutes allegations of corruption against him at the Senate Blue Ribbon sub-committee hearings held in the Makati City Hall Building 2.

Investigations regarding all these allegations of corruption are being done by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Philippine Senate, and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Binay is currently facing accusations by former vice president of the BSP, Ernesto Mercado, of accepting and misappropriating money received from a deal between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and Alphaland Corporation back in 2008.[34][35] Initially accused of receiving P200 million in kickback from the deal and using it to fund his 2010 campaign for vice president,[36] Mercado has amended his statement to reflect the possibility that if Binay has sold the shares he received, he could have made anywhere between P233 million and P651 million.[34]

Mercado has also stated that although the Boy Scouts of the Philippines were supposed to have received ₱600 million for their end of the deal, the organization has yet to be compensated. This is seconded by the current vice president of the BSP, Atty. Wendell Avisado who further added that he believes that they will only be paid when construction of the podium in Alphaland Makati Tower is completed.[35] Avisado adds, however, that Alphaland has been consistently paying the BSP ₱530,000 monthly for the use of a BSP podium that is currently being used by Alphaland as a showroom.[36]

Sen. Trillanes believes that if Binay becomes president, he will release former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the 3 Senators allegedly involved in the Pork barrel scam, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile from detention. The subcommittee concluded the hearings on January 25, 2016.

Currently, Binay's camp is denying these allegations.[37]

Presidential bid

Binay with Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla during the signing of a coalition agreement between the United Nationalist Alliance and Partido Magdalo.

Initially he polled highly among expected presidential candidates for the Philippine general election, 2016.[38][39][40] However, in the September 2015 Pulse Asia he placed third after Senator Grace Poe and Mar Roxas, the ruling Liberal Party presidential candidate. His trust rating had also dropped 18%.

Speculation as to who his running mate will be come 2016 have seen fingers pointed in many directions, including the likes of PLDT Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan,[41] Senator Jinggoy Estrada,[42] Rep. Manny Pacquiao,[43] Nacionalista Party President Manny Villar,[44] and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos.[45] But later revealed to be Gringo Honasan.

Platform

Vice President Binay disclosed his platform for his 2016 Presidential bid during his speech in the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Cebu City on March 20, 2015.[46]

He aims to improve the situation in the state colleges and universities, public health hospitals and clinics, police stations, and mass housing. An increase in both salaries and benefits of public school teachers and health workers, members of the police force, and other public servants was also promised. In his plans include a redesigning and re-engineering of the transportation system of the country, as well as prioritizing the building of more infrastructures and the creation of more jobs. He proposes to change the constitution to boost the economy, and speed up the country's development.[46]

In early July of the same year, Binay expressed UNA's (his party list) platform for 2016 in a speech:

Ang sigaw ng UNA at ng taumbayan sawa na tayo sa kahirapan, sawa na tayo sa kawalan ng hanapbuhay, sawa na tayo sa kriminalidad at ilegal na droga. Sawa na tayo sa kakulangan ng basic services... hirap na tayo sa manhid at palpak na pamahalaan,
What UNA and the citizens are expressing is that we're tired of poverty, we're tired of unemployment, we're tired of criminals and illegal drugs. We're tired of the lack of basic services...we're struggling under a numb and failed government,

Personal life

He is married to Dr. Elenita Sombilo Binay, who also served as mayor of Makati from 1998 to 2001. They have 5 children:[47]

Recognition

1992

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Notes

  1. [Note 1]His birth name was supposed to be Jesús Jose Maria Cabauatan Binay, but Maria was not added in his birth certificate.
  2. [Note 2]According to his birth certificate, he was born on November 10, 1942.[1] However, according to his official documents, he was born on November 11, 1942, which is the date he personally prefers.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jejomar Binay's Birth Certificate
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Profile of Jejomar "Jojo" Cabauatan Binay | ABS-CBN News". www.abs-cbnnews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  3. ↑ "LOOK: VP Binay's one-sentence resignation letter". Retrieved 2015-07-03.
  4. ↑ "Biography of Hon. Jejomar C. Binay, City Mayor". City of Makati. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Vice President Jejomar "Jojo" C. Binay". Office of the Vice President of the Phil. Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  6. ↑ Ager, Maila. "Binay presses martial law human rights victims to claim compensation". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2015-07-04.
  7. ↑ ABS-CBNnews.com, By. "'Martial law' in Senate disturbs Joker, Saguisag". Retrieved 2015-07-04.
  8. ↑ "Jejomar C Binay". World Mayor. City Mayors Foundation. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  9. ↑ Makati City Government official website, Biography of Hon. Jejomar C. Binay,
  10. ↑ Michael Punongbayan Binay suspended for 60 days. Philstar.com. October 18, 2006
  11. ↑ Maila Ager, Veronica Uy, Thea Alberto Allies rush to embattled Binay’s side. Inquirer.net. 10/17/2006
  12. ↑ Erap to Palace: Stop harassing opposition. Philstar.com. October 18, 2006
  13. ↑ CA stops Binay’s suspension. Philstar.com. Updated October 20, 2006
  14. ↑ Norman Bordadora Sandigan Bayan clears Binay of graft charge. Inquirer.net. 10/31/2006
  15. ↑ Binay’s suspension a political vendetta. Inquirer.net. 10/19/2006
  16. ↑ DJ Yap Assets seizure could hurt City Hall – Binay. Inquirer.net. 05/04/2007
  17. ↑ Michael Punongbayan and Jose Rodel Clapano Suspension for Binay. Philstar.com. May 05, 2007
  18. ↑ DJ Yap and Fe Zamora Palace retreats on Binay. Inquirer.net. 05/07/2007
  19. ↑ Daxim Lucas BIR unfreezes Makati funds. Inquirer.net. 05/06/2007
  20. ↑ Julie M. Aurelio, Tarra Quismundo Binay questions suspension order. Inquirer.net. May 5, 2007
  21. ↑ Sandy Araneta Binay questions suspension. Philstar.com. May 09, 2007
  22. ↑ "Congress proclaims Aquino, Binay as new President, Vice-President" abs-cbnnews.com. June 9, 2010
  23. ↑ "BIR to probe Makati City gov't". Retrieved 2015-07-02.
  24. ↑ Binay overtakes Legarda in VP race. ABS-CBNNews.com. April 29, 2010
  25. ↑ Christian Esguerra and Philip Tubeza Binay ties Roxas; Aquino pulls away. Inquirer.net. 05/07/2010
  26. ↑ Ager, Maila. "Mercado: ‘Hacienda Binays’ bigger than Luneta, Araneta Center". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  27. ↑ Dizon, David (October 8, 2014). "Binay owns mansions in Tagaytay, Batangas: Mercado". ABS-CBN News.
  28. ↑ "The Unexplained Wealth of Jejomar Binay – Vice-President | Global Balita". Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  29. ↑ "Contractor of ‘overpriced’ Makati building also building condo Rep. Binay won in raffle". Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  30. ↑ "Binay son asked to explain P50-million Makati house". Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "Binay needs to resolve his image - The Standard". Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  32. 1 2 Go, Miriam Grace (October 8, 2014). "The Lord of Makati: Can Binay explain his wealth?". Rappler.
  33. ↑ "Binay foes: Witnesses to expose 'ghost' workers". Retrieved 2015-07-10.
  34. 1 2 Cruz, RG (2015-02-18). "Binay got over P500M in kickbacks, Mercado claims". ABSCBNnews.com. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  35. 1 2 Calonzo, Andreo (2015-02-18). "Alphaland president may have committed tax fraud in Boy Scouts land deal – senator". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  36. 1 2 "Boy Scouts: No anomaly in property deal with Alphaland". GMA News Online. 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  37. ↑ "ABSCBN News". 2015-01-22. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  38. ↑ http://www.rappler.com/nation/56725-binay-runaway-winner-pulse-asia-poll
  39. ↑ http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2014/07/10/in-philippines-vice-president-stands-out-for-2016-race/
  40. ↑ http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/07/19/1347910/binay-tops-poll-presidential-bets-grace-2nd
  41. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uR0fbR0ygOM
  42. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TsMrNUpJzE
  43. ↑ http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/382405/news/nation/vp-binay-open-to-manny-pacquiao-as-2016-running-mate-but
  44. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpObaU9km3A
  45. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AkDmUz323U
  46. 1 2 "Binay: Lawyer should lead Phl in 2016". Retrieved 2015-07-09.
  47. ↑ "Vice President's Corner". Office of the Vice President of the Philippines. Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
  48. ↑ Singcol, Anna Katrina (May 13, 2009). "Profile of Jejomar "Jojo" Cabauatan Binay". ABS-CBN News.

External links

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