‘Unqualified’ Nancy Binay struggles to prove mettle in Senate race

Unlike many senatorial candidates, Maria Lourdes “Nancy” Binay has been noticeably absent from the airwaves, a key factor in gaining public visibility and media mileage in a political battlefield dominated by current and former lawmakers. Does she have the jitters, as one of her colleagues in the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) coalition says, or is she afraid of answering questions about her qualifications for the national post? A last-minute addition to the UNA slate, the daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay brushes aside the observations, saying that although she has a television advertisement, she will focus on personal appearances when the campaign period for candidates seeking national posts in the May elections kicks off next week. "Ang priority ko ngayon is mag-ikot sa mga probinsya kasi based on our survey, ang gusto ng mga tao [ay] makita ako [nang] personal. I think kailangan nila ako mahawakan kaysa sa TV," Nancy told GMA News Online in an interview Friday. She denied rumors that she was avoiding media interviews on purpose, saying, "In fact nag-appear ako sa DZBB the other week and today nasa kabilang station ako." Her media relations officer Rex Hirang also told GMA News Online that her campaign team could not accommodate all media requests “kasi nalatag na noon pa 'yung [schedule] ni Ms. Nancy, kaya 'di na namin mapagbigyan 'yung ibang invitation.” Binay dynasty? Unlike her father, her younger sister, Makati Rep. Mar-Len "Abigail" Binay, and her younger brother, current Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Jr., Nancy is a political greenhorn. An opinion piece entitled “Unqualified” in the Philippine Daily Inquirer sums up the criticisms leveled against her:

“Of the 33 candidates for the Senate, only one has no achievements to speak of, no accomplishments to her name. Nancy Binay has not served in an elective or appointive office; she has not run a company or a nongovernment organization; and until very recently, she has not championed a public-oriented advocacy or taken a stand on a political issue. When asked to identify her electoral advantage, Vice President Jejomar Binay candidly replied: ‘She’s my daughter.’”

Name recall is certainly working in her favor: In the recent Pulse Asia survey, she ranks No. 4—a big leap from the 11th place ranking she got in the previous survey. But her lineage has also laid bare her inexperience to serve in a national post, having not much work experience except as her parents’ personal assistant when they both served as mayor of Makati. One of the country’s richest local government units, Makati has been ruled by a Binay ever since the People Power revolt in 1986, leading to growing criticisms that the family is building a political dynasty. Currently, Nancy is also a member of the board of trustees of the JCB Foundation, Brighthalls Children’s Foundation, Bigay Pagmamahal Foundation, and Serbisyong Tunay Foundation, Inc. Vice President Binay, himself a leading contender in the 2016 presidential race, had defended his daughter in an earlier interview, saying her exposure to the Binay family’s political career would serve her well. "Hindi bago 'yan sa pulitika at hindi bago sa paglilingkod sa bayan,” he said. “'Yung nagawa ko alam naman nya 'yun. Hindi na sya bago sa ganitong gawain." Nancy agrees, and adds that she is not afraid of being compared to her father: "I think yun nga ang challenge for me, to be the same or even greater than my father's service.” — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK/YA, GMA News