MANILA, Philippines — The Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee probing the alleged overpricing of the construction of the Makati City Hall II parking building is a weak forum for Vice President Jejomar Binay to answer allegations of corruption against him, a political strategist said.
Malou Tiquia, chief of the Association of Political Consultants in Asia, said that Binay has a reason in declining his requested appearance at the subcommittee's hearing despite the slide in his ratings as top contender for the presidency in 2016.
"What is problematic in the Senate hearing is that this is a Senate subcommittee, it's not a mother committee of the Blue Ribbon which was afforded to Janet Napoles," Tiquia said in an interview on ANC Headstart on Monday.
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She stressed that the vice president is an "institution" that does not depend on the personality and image of Binay, while Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind, is only a private individual made to appear at a more important forum.
"If you don't respect Binay, respect at least the institution. It would be nice for heads of institutions to intervene ... When you give out an invitation to the Vice President, it would be nice that they negotiate what are the terms, what are the parameters," Tiquia said.
Binay's camp has refused to appear in the subcommittee hearings, which they slammed as a political ploy targeted against his presidential bid.
The analyst compared the situation to that of American President Bill Clinton embroiled in a political sex scandal with Monica Lewinsky in 1998 where the official's appearance at a hearing was fixed beforehand behind closed doors.
"There were negotiations: What are the questions to be asked? How will the Vice President be treated? Those things have to be taken into consideration," Tiquia said.
She also noted that the subcommittee composed of Senators Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes IV, Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Alan Peter Cayetano can always choose to provide a more significant venue for Binay. Having three people hurling accusations can also be easily seen as mere politicking.
"It's a subcommittee of three. The subcommittee can always go back to the mother committee chaired by Sen. Guingona and ask can we convene the mother committee and have the vice president there," Tiquia said.
"if you have a subcommittee of three rendering judgment, receiving allegations, talagang lalabas ng pulitika," she added.
Tiquia also urged the senators to "accord some degree of decency" to Binay as the second highest official of the land.
"When you give that decency and courtesy to a Janet Napoles, hindi naman siguro asking too much from the Senate to give the same decency to the vice president," she said.
The analyst believes, however, that Binay has to address the decline in his ratings by coming forward and explaining to the public issues tagging him.