Cayetano Belittles Fear Binay Gobbles Trillanes in Debate

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A senator downplayed the fears of some quarters that a lawyer Vice President Jejomar Binay would devour the non-lawyer Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in their forthcoming debate

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Senator Trillanes                            Vice President Binay                                                                                                                                

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said Binay’s lengthy experiences as human rights lawyer and 40 years in government service could not be discerned as downsides for Trillanes. He said the solon could just ask in the debate the right damning questions.

“Alam ng mga kapatid natin sa media kesyo iyon pero may tinatago, laging dehado. Iyon pang gustong mag expose e parating llamado. What do I mean about that? Kahit 40 years at isang Vice President ang isang tao kung may tinatago, iyong isang graduate ng journalism o mass com pag tama ang tanong niya lamang siya,” he expounded.

But Cayetano avoided answering that he should be the opponent of Binay in the debates because both are seasoned lawyers.
Trillanes is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy and was commissioned as a naval officer before he joined Congress.

       Senator Alan Peter Cayetano

 Cayetano instead explained that supposedly the proper person Binay should be debating would not him or Trillanes but former Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado because he was the primary sources of the expose’ against the former.

Cayetano lauded Trillanes in accepting the challenge of the Vice President for a debate.

“Senator Trillanes biggest strength ay iyong nasa imbestigasyon, iyong nasa ground work, intelligence, ay hindi niya tinatalikuran ang hamon ng batas ang hamon ng Vice President”.

According to the ANC News, Binay had issued his challenge to Trillanes while he spoke to reporters in the sidelines of a memorandum of agreement signing between officials of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the Pag Ibig Fund in Manila a week ago.

Binay said his supposed debate with Trillanes must happen outside the Senate where Trillanes can claim immunity from being questioned.

"I'm willing to debate with Trillanes, walang immunity. It's a kangaroo court eh, prejudged na, wala kang pupuntahan doon (Senate)," he said.

Trillanes then accepted the challenge and said he is even willing to hold the debate at a large piece of property in Rosario, Batangas allegedly owned by Binay.

The KBP last October 23 said it would prepare for the one-on-one debate between Vice-President  Binay and Sen. Trillanes.