Manila: Vice President Jejomar Binay had given low marks for President Benigno Aquino III's leadership.
The reason: the Aquino government had been "underspending."
"Underspending means under-delivery of services," Binay told GMA network radio and TV host Mike Enriquez in an interview.
Binay, former mayor of Makati, is running for president in the May 9 elections. The Vice President had falling out with President Benigno Aquino, who annointed former Senator Mar Roxas as his successor and Liberal Party standard-bearer.
Binay, who is running under the Una (First) party, said the Philippine government is awash with cash: "We have (money), by the trillions of pesos," he said.
Those unspent government resources could have been used to provide services to those who need them.
During the interview, the vice president said he has no qualms admitting that some people call him "Nognog" for being somewhat short in height and being dark-skinned or "sunog."
"Totoo naman 'yon. Bansot na negro pa pero kulay Pilipino naman iyon," he said. "Nognog nga pero may nagagawa." "(It's true. I'm short, dark skinned too but that's the true colour of the Filipino... a dark-skinned man who can deliver.")
The Vice President said he believes the presidency requires someone who has experience in being an executive.
"Kailangan marunong magdesisyon at humarap sa problema," he said. (We need someone who knows how to decide and face the problem)
He said being a mayor had been good training ground for becoming the head of the country.
Binay lept from from a city mayor to being vice president in 2010.
Former president Cory Aquino, appointed Binay officer-in-charge of Makati days after the EDSA revolution in February 1986.
He later joined the mayoralty race in Makati and served as mayor of the city from 1986 to 1998 and 2001 to 2010.
Binay said when he assumed office, the local government of Makati was almost bankrupt and had only P240 million funds remaining.
When he left in 2010, the city had P11 billion in funds, he said.
Enriquez, meanwhile, cited another mayor who is running for president: Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
Enriquez cited how Duterte mentioned that if he is disqualified from seeking the presidency, he would support Binay.
Binay only laughed and denied the claims, saying he was friends with Duterte but he had not spoken to the Davao City mayor since they proclaimed their candidacies.
Philippine Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay gestures while reading his statement at a news conference, in Manila, Philippines. Binay, who submitted his irrevocable resignation as a member of President Benigno Aquino III's cabinet, announced Wednesday he would severe his ties with the present administration.
Image Credit: AP
