Except for ex-President/ Mayor Erap's much needed endorsement of Jojo Binay, it would appear, from the current looks of things, that the Vice President is fighting a lonely battle against the powerful forces of Philippine politics and society. It would seem that he is being bombarded and bamboozled by a barrage of endless attacks. The only remaining consolation is a claimed friendship with the Aquino family that dated back during the dark days of Martial Rule, when then Mabini Lawyer Jejomar was struggling with Rene Saguisag, Joker Arroyo and Bobbit Sanchez, to name a few. They were then harassed in Mendiola, in Roxas Boulevard, in Luneta and ultimately in EDSA. Binay was always loyal to President Cory, even to the extent of endangering his life and the security of his family.
Then, when President Cory was in office, Jojo Binay was given the monicker "Rambotito" for defending the lady President against seven coups, with all the uzi, garrand, and grenades tucked in this diminutive loyal follower and defender of Tita Cory. Where was Roxas and Noy at those crucial days, by the way ?Jojo Binay figured in many demos, marches, and hunger strikes, side by side with the late Senator Lorenzo Tanada, Jose W Diokno, Chino Roces, and even Doy Laurel. When Tita Cory took office, Binay was about to be drafted for the Senate along with Saguisag and Joker. But he preferred to stay in Makati because the lady President needed support from the local government. And they had to dismantle the ''fiefdoms'' of some political lords like the Yabuts in Makati, the Cunetas in Pasay, the Asistios in Caloocan, and so on and so forth.
Without prejudice to the ultimate finding of truth, by the proper body, could these seemingly bottomless '' persecutions'' of the Binays illustrative of how the ''ilustrados'', the ''caciques'' and ''hacienderos'' like the Roxases and Aquinos in Philippine society always adversarial to the ambitions of the ''indios'' like Jejomar Binay. Would these powerful elite have used all these bullying tactics if the family name of Binay was an Araneta, a Madrigal, an Elizalde, or a Soriano, or a Zobel or even just a Cojuangco, an Aquino or a Tan, a Gokongwei, a Sy, a Gatchalian perhaps? Is this what we are witnessing these days not a battle royale between an "indio" in the person of Binay and an " ilustrado" who is Mar Roxas ? Is this Crisostomo Ibarra resurrected, being bullied by Capitan Tiago and Padre Damaso ?
If it were a landed ''haciendero'' like the Lopezes in Iloilo or the Aranetas in Negros, the Montelibanos, the Lacsons, the Osmeñas, Duranos, and Ramas in Cebu or the Espinosas from Masbate, the old Imperial family in Bicol, would Binay be harassed like he is being ''persecuted'' today? Why is it being very difficult for the people to believe that Jojo Binay could own a piece of property or even lease it after all those years of simple living ? He is a lawyer and his wife is a physician. He is not a gambler or a drunkard. He does not travel abroad and does not squander his money like other politicians today. Is this not a brazen form of discrimination? Why are people too quick in judging Jojo Binay? And too forgiving on how some big haciendas come into the hands of powerful families, lands which have remained untouchable even by the government's agrarian reform program?
attyjosephusbjimenez@yahoo.com