Roxas on VP Binay's take on graft and corruption: Let's listen to the expert

Administration standard bearer Mar Roxas on Thursday said he was glad that Vice President Jejomar Binay was finally speaking about the issues of graft and corruption hurdled against him.

"Maganda rin at nagpaliwanag siya tungkol sa graft and corruption dahil siya naman ang expert," Roxas said in a chance interview at the sidelines of the inauguration of a government housing project in San Juan City. "Tanggapin natin ang kanyang paliwanag."

In a forum held in Siliman University in Dumaguete on Wednesday, Binay, who is also running for president in 2016, explained before college students the difference between the acts of graft and corruption.

Binay explained that graft refers to abuse of power while you are in the government, while corruption involves misuse of public funds for personal gains. Binay maintained that the allegations against him do not fall to any these acts.

“Baka may personal experience siya at alam niya talaga ang pagkakaiba ng graft sa korupsyon kaya maganda na ipinaliwanag niya ang pagkakaiba,” Roxas said.

Binay is facing investigation at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with various allegations of graft and corruption in Makati City government during his term as mayor.

Last October, the Ombudsman announced that it has found probable cause to file criminal charges of graft, malversation and falsification of public documents against Binay, his son, dismissed Makati mayor Junjun Binay, and 22 other officials of Makati over the alleged overpriced construction of the P2.28-billion Makati City Hall Building II.

The respondents, however, filed their respective motions for reconsideration, which the Ombudsman has yet to resolve.

Binay is also facing investigations by the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged anomalous construction of the Makati Science High School, overpriced construction of a College of Nursing Building in the University of Makati, and the alleged illegal conversion of a public property in Barangay Comembo in Makati to a private property of one of the vice president’s alleged dummies.

Binay is also facing probe over the alleged anomalous sale of a one-hectare lot owned by the Boy Scouts of the Philippines to property developer Alphaland Corporation.

Roxas said that while he respects the opinion of Binay on the issue of graft and corruption, it will be his personal crusade to prosecute corruption public officials should he win as president in 2016 elections.

"Yung mga expert sa graft at sa corruption, sila na lang ang magpaliwanag ng pagkakaiba," Roxas said. "Basta ako kontra ako [sa korupsyon] at ipapakulong ko lahat ng mga corrupt."

"Hindi ko naman siya pini-personal. Basta kung mapatunayan at ma-convict sa court of law, ipapakulong ko siya," he added. —KBK, GMA News