Next to the new president, attention seemed to be focused as well on the country’s No. 2 man VP Jejomar Binay. As part of the president’s inaugural pledge to lead by example, ordered his escorts to strictly obey traffic rules.
Now, Vice President Jejomar Binay made an apolog to the public Tuesday after a TV footage showed his security convoy beating the red light in Quezon City the previous day.
“The Vice President apologized to all motorists who may have been inconvenienced last Monday, the Vice President reminded his security detail to follow traffic rules,” according to Binay’s statement.
Salgado, Binay’s media officer said the head of Binay’s security, Col. Ferdinand Fraginal, had also warned the concerned personnel.
Binay’s convoy was caught by a GMA 7 television crew, as it beats the red light at about 11:30 a.m. along Araneta Avenue on its way back to the Office of the Vice President on President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City.
No ‘wangwang,’ too
According to Salgado, Binay came from the house of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and was engaged in a conversation over the phone inside his car when the violation was committed.
“I was told that he was on the phone and that he was unaware of what was going on because the ‘hagad’ (mounted escorts) were some distance from his car,” Salgado said.
Meanwhile Salgado added that Binay had never used wangwang in his more than 20 years as mayor of Makati, apart from responding to emergency situations like fires.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Aquino promised to lead a serious campaign against the abuse of government power and bonuses, starting to the unauthorized use of sirens by some public officials.
On the side of Malacañang, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda refused to comment on the reported traffic violation of the convoy, simply saying: “Let him explain.”
Reportedly, there were some requests made by Binay. The request for extra funds for his office and the arrangement of an official residence for the Vice President, Lacierda said Binay could discuss the matter with leaders of Congress.
If Binay felt that the funds in the proposed budget were not enough, “he could request for more,” the Palace official added.
But in his personal view as a professor on constitutional law, Lacierda said, “there is nothing in the Constitution that provides [for an official residence for the Vice President].”
“It’s up to our legislators if they feel he should be entitled … and let them legislate,” he said.
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