VP Binay an ‘expert in corruption’ —Lacierda

A Malacañang spokesperson on Tuesday called Vice President Jejomar Binay an “expert in corruption, and a joker" as the presidential candidate's camp accused the administration of election bribery through the administration's bottom-up budgeting program.

“I suppose that's how VP intends to govern, to be bribed and to bribe. That's why he is the expert in corruption, and a joker when talks about good governance,” Lacierda told reporters in a text message.

Binay's camp said that the ruling Liberal Party (LP) is using the eyed expanded P100-billion bottom-up budgeting program to bribe local executives.

“When he talks about FOI (Freedom of Information), nobody believes him because he cannot even produce his own private secretary for many years, his financial adviser for many years. Walk the talk. Maybe he really walks the talk because he loves to talk about bribing,” Lacierda added.

Lacierda was referring to Gerry Limlingan and Ebeng Baloloy, two of his closest aides who were both summoned to attend the Senate probe on the allegations of corruption against Binay.

Lawyer Rico Quicho, campaign spokesperson of Binay, said they will not retaliate to Lacierda's "petty name calling."

"Makati speaks for itself. The Vice President will focus on delivering his message that poverty must be addressed immediately, and quality education and proper healthcare must be available to our people," Quicho said.

He added: "No amount of character assassination will stop the Vice President from pushing for his pro-poor agenda."

On Monday, Binay accused the administration of underspending to save funds for the implementation of the BuB, a budgeting program touted by Roxas in his campaign sorties. The BuB allows local executives, together with civil society organizations, to identify priority projects funded by the national government.

Binay and Roxas are both running for president in the May elections.

Spokesperson Mon Ilagan of Binay’s party, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), referred to the BuB as a “bribe your barangay” program.

In a separate statement, LP spokesperson and Akbayan Rep. Ibarra Gutierrez again defended the BuB, saying: “This is a simple concept—give the public funds to the public, not to the thieves.”

Gutierrez noted that it was the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo who introduced the BuB.

“[It is] for our poor brothers and sisters who don’t receive enough aid because plunderers in the government steal the funds meant for them,” he said. —ALG, GMA News