Cayetano for President: At the expense of Binay, Roxas?

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

In January this column headlined “Alan Peter Cayetano for President”. That article stemmed from my conversation with Senator Allan Peter Cayetano when he graced the Ulopan ng Sumisigay Ed Dagupan, Inc (USADA) where he distributed P150, 000 seed money to the members of USADA in Dagupan City so they can lend among themselves to better their small scale aqua products’ business. USADA is headed by Ronnie Cayabyab.

Presidential wannabe Mar Roxas and spouse
TV anchor woman Korina Sanchez.

I had a little role in that meeting since I was the one who drafted the letter of Ronnie to the Senator who arrived in the Bangus City through a helicopter.

In a huddle with the solon I told him that as a presidential dark horse I would be egging him in my column to run for the presidency as the landscape between presidential wannabes Vice President Jojo Binay and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas were and are still fluid.

Son of a gun, when I was opening the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s March 6 issues I saw the news title “ I want to be President: Cayetano eyes 2016 run” by lined by Norman Bordadora.

“Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is preparing for a possible presidential run in 2016, stressing that he is not just interested in contesting the highest post, he intends to win it. In an interview with ANC television yesterday, Cayetano said his people have been conducting surveys to gauge his chances in a presidential election two years from now. He even hinted at plans for an advertising campaign to boost his stock,” Bordadora reported.

Cayetano’s recent fling in the presidential saber rattling significantly cost Binay as the former denounced the latter credibility.

Take these instances: 

Cayetano said the Vice-President is downplaying the testimonies of whistle-blowers against his allies, Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada. This runs counter to Binay's statements against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo whom he accused of corruption.

The ABS CBN TV website titled “VP Binay, Cayetano word war heats up" quoted Cayetano:

"Pakisabi kay Toby (Tiangco, spokesman of the opposition's United Nationalist Alliance), yun ang challenge ko kay Vice-President. Mag-statement lang siya na kahit anong mangyari, kung nandiyan ang ebidensya ikukulong ko ang mga yan. Wala siyang sinasabi e. Bagkus baliktad pa. Sinabi niya dud yung ebidensya tapos sinabi niya trial by publicity. Bakit si Gloria Macapagal Arroyo trial by publicity, araw-araw siya nagpapa-rally? Pagdating sa kakampi niya ayaw niyang sabihin”.

The Vice-President earlier contradicted the statement of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that socialite Ruby Tuason's testimony in the pork barrel scam was "slam dunk evidence."

The Inquirer meanwhile wrote on February 17 a news story titled: “Cayetano pessismistic if Binay becomes president” that Senate Majority Leader Cayetano paints a bleak prospect for the country in case Vice President Binay would be elected president in 2016.

Cayetano said that under a Binay administration, the investigation on the Priority Development Assistance Fund could be undermined, and the alleged perpetrators may go unpunished.

“If Binay takes the presidency in 2016, will the case still be pursued and would the DOJ and the National Bureau of Investigation stay its ground against corruption?” Cayetano pointed out in a statement Monday.

“Suddenly, you will have thoughts that the cases would be undermined in 2016,” Cayetano added.

***

If Peter helps damaged the credibility of the vice president, when would he train his gun to start undermining the presidential chances of Roxas?

To the beauteous Marivic Cheng, Cayetano’s media liaison officer whom I met during Cynthia Villar’s successful foray in the senatorial race, I know someone who has the goods against Roxas in the humongous province of Pangasinan.

For instance, the bridesmaid of Mar and Korina Sanchez was the daughter of alleged multi-billion pesos swindler Delfin Lee.

Remember, favorite presidentiables today are not the sine qua non shoo-in in the May 2016 election.

Heard about favorite presidential timber Manny Villar whose juggernaut was his well-oiled seemingly unstoppable cho-cho train in 2009? But whom did the Filipinos elect in 2010? Gee whiz, it was not the favorite turned pet peeved Villar and his C-5 multi million pesos project that got awry.  It was Noynoy Aquino, a non-performer in Congress whose trump card was the death of his well-respected mother former president Cory that catapulted him to the presidency amid the national hatred to the corrupt administration of Gloria Arroyo!

Would the slow political death of Binay and Roxas catapult Allan Peter too to the presidency?

(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too attotomortz@yahoo.com).