THE CONTRASTING IMAGES OF TWO FILIPINO POLITICIANS (Duterte and Binay) By Manny Pinol There are several things common between Vice President Jejomar Binay and Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte. Both became Mayors of their respective cities, Binay in Makati and Duterte in Davao, and both have family members in politics. Both have also proven to be durable local political leaders holding on to their posts for decades. But that is about the closest that the two political figures could be compared with each other. In all other things, they are in perfect contrasts. Binay, a poor boy who had to work his way to college and now lives a comfortable life with a house in a subdivision for the rich in Makati, has unabashedly proclaimed that he is dreaming to be President of the Philippines. Duterte, one of the five children of former Davao Governor Don Vicente Duterte, comes from a well-to-do family but lives in a low-cost housing subdivision, has earlier threatened to shoot people who are initiating the moves to push him to run for President. Binay salivates for the Presidency. Duterte loathes the idea. Vice President Binay is officious who likes traveling around in a convoy and is very conscious of his lofty political position even declaring that Ladies and gentlemen, I am the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines when explaining why he refused to appear before the Senate hearing on alleged corruption in Makati City and his unexplained wealth. Mayor Duterte is low-key who travels around Davao City in an inconspicuous pick-up or flies to farflung barangays in a Raven helicopter lent by a motorcyling buddy and occasionally drives a taxi at night to get a feel of his city. Perhaps the most graphic contrast between Binay and Duterte is their perception of political power and the perks which come with it. When the controversial Dasmarinas-gate scandal involving his son, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay who confronted the guards of the posh Dasmarinas Village when he was not allowed to pass through a closed gate, was brought out in the media, Vice President Binay came to the defense of his son saying that as Mayor of Makati Junjun Binay deserved some degree of courtesy and respect. The security guards who stopped the convoy of the Makati Mayor were later relieved from their duties on orders of the security agency but the homeowners gave them awards for standing their ground. Former Davao City Mayor Atty. Sarah Duterte-Carpio, who stepped in as mayor of the city when Rodys nine-year-term ended in 2010, was flagged down by traffic policemen implementing the stringent 30-kph speed limit in downtown Davao City for overspeeding. Instead of invoking her being a Duterte and a former city mayor, Sarah told the flabbergasted policemen to issue her a ticket for over-speeding and apologized saying she forgot about the speed limit. Unlike the Dasmarinas Village security guards who were relieved after they accosted Mayor Binay, the traffic policemen who issued an over-speeding ticket to the former Davao City Mayor were cited by the city government for their dedication to their duty. Finally, while the former Makati Mayor and now Vice President is facing a number of corruption charges and is embroiled in a Senate investigation over corruption and alleged unexplained wealth, the Davao City Mayor hit the front pages of the newspapers when he refused financial contributions for his campaign in 2010 from businessmen saying he had no opponent for the mayoralty contest and even suggested that the money be given instead to the poor. The contrast between two known political figures in the Philippines will further be emphasized as the 2016 elections near. Vice President Binay, the poor boy who became rich and dreams of becoming President, is seeing his numbers crumble amid unexplained questions on his unexplained wealth and alleged corruption in Makati when he was still mayor. His dream of becoming President is like a morning mist which is thinning out as the first rays of the sun break through. Duterte, on the other hand, the former Governors son who chose to lead a simple life and is irritated when talks of the presidency are made, is riding high on a nationwide clamor for him to stand up and be the next President of the Philippines. While he has not made any categorical declaration lately on whether he will accept the call of the people or not, Duterte is evidently touched by the spontaneous outpouring of pleadings by people from all walks of life who are tired of corruption in government and unabated criminality. Indeed, it can now be said that while everybody could dream and aspire to be President, the Presidency is destiny.
Posted on: Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:33:23 +0000
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