Nancy: Spare my mother

MACO, Compostela Valley, Philippines - United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Nancy Binay asked yesterday the “demolition team” operating against her father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, to spare her mother Elenita.

In an interview at UNA’s campaign sorties here, Nancy said her mother is not a candidate in the coming elections.

Nancy made the call in reaction to what she said was the harassment that her mother suffered at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Monday, where she was initially prevented from leaving the country.

Mrs. Binay was accompanying her husband to the Vatican for the installation of Pope Francis.

She was eventually allowed to leave after the Vice President called someone, according to an airport source.

Their flight was delayed by 17 minutes.

The source said Mrs. Binay was prevented from leaving due to a hold departure order against her in connection with a criminal case before the Sandiganbayan.

Nancy said her mother was not sure at first whether she would be joining her husband in his trip to the Vatican.

“She did not want to go there without a permit to travel. It was just that the transmission of the clearance was delayed,” Nancy said.

She said her mother, who is 69 years old, does not deserve any form of harassment by her husband’s critics.

“Please don’t include my mother in this. I am the candidate, not her,” Nancy said.

She is also hopeful that the graft cases against her mother, which stemmed from alleged bidding anomalies in the purchase of fixtures and furniture for the Makati City Hall in 2001, will be resolved soon.

“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Nancy said.

Meanwhile, Bureau of Immigration (BI) spokesperson Ma. Antonette Mangrobang denied yesterday speculation that the Vice President got angry with Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. because he could not be reached during the airport incident last Monday.

“They were able to talk. I was in the office of the commissioner. He informed the VP that there is an HDO. The commissioner said, ‘I do not see any problem but I need to ask clearance from our (justice) department secretary Leila de Lima,’” Mangrobang said.– With Evelyn Macairan