Still most trusted despite ‘demolition’

Trust is earned. Jejomar Binay apparently knows this all too well. As a human rights lawyer during the martial law years, he helped many poor litigants obtain justice. And as Makati mayor since 1986, he attended to the needs and problems of his constituents.

Over the years, he has earned the trust and respect of many Filipinos, so much so that today, as Vice President of the Republic, he is the most trusted among the Top. 5 public officials in the country, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey.

The survey result is surprising, considering that Binay has been the target of what appears to be a sustained smear campaign in the halls of the Senate. Three senators, aiming to project themselves as viable candidates for higher office, have launched a nonstop demolition job against Binay for the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building II.

But even if they have trotted out a parade of witnesses who have accused him of rigging contracts when he was still Makati mayor and vowed to drop more bombshells in the weeks to come, Binay remains the most trusted among top officials, even surpassing President Aquino’s trust rating.

What this indicates is that Binay’s 2016 presidential bid is on track even as his detractors and critics have come up with an unlimited bag of tricks to malign him with baseless accusations.

The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee orchestrating the political moro-moro against Binay must be spending sleepless nights now for their apparent failure to make the allegations of corruption against him stick. They should stop the charade forthwith and come up with a better script.

—JUDITH PEREZ,

Mamamayan ng Makati

para sa Katotohanan,

Barangay Singkamas, Makati City