The burden of the unexplained has fallen on Presidentiable Jejomar Binay, mostly because he declared his intention to run for President so early. This opened him up to the ongoing Senate Hearings that have villified him and evolved from the Makati City Hall Parking Building II to his alleged involvement in deals to enrich himself via the various posts he holds: from head of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, to Housing Czar, to ex-Mayor of Makati. And so now there is nothing he might say that is not tainted by questions of graft and corruption, no matter how politically motivated these allegations are. And really, it would do the VP well to start answering these questions instead of brushing it aside and presuming that we don’t want answers. Let’s be clear about one thing: we want, and need, answers from him — and any Presidentiable — running in 2016.

Let it be clear too: we don’t only ask these questions of Binay, we ask it of all politicians and candidates running for posts in 2016.

That includes the Liberal Party and this President — who now burdens his annointed one Mar Roxas with answering questions about matuwid na daan, and all that it has done (or not done) in the past five years. In fact, where Binay might be refusing to answer the above allegations at length, so has the President failed to be truthful and honest about many things that happened on his matuwid na daan. We’ve been treated to un-truths, and injustice, a lack of transparency and the skillful evasion of issues.

The burden of the unexplained falls on the shoulders of every candidate, especially so on Binay and Roxas, now both Presidentiables. To me it seems Roxas has gotten the more difficult questions here, even when Binay has to deal with the bottomless pit of accusations from Senators Trillanes, Cayetano and Pimentel. Because Binay can say things like: the courts will decide, and just work harder at counter-acting the demolition job against him. Roxas (and PNoy) meanwhile need to give us better answers than that, and talk beyond blaming the previous administration and speak about solutions to these problems.

But also Roxas himself as a member of PNoy’s cabinet needs to answer questions.

As with PNoy, Roxas has been allowed by media to evade these questions, for reasons that are beyond me. Specifically for the MRT3 anomalous contract, he said something to the effect that it was the Ombudsman’s decision not to charge him. And that’s that.

There was a time when Roxas could get away with not answering questions straight up. But as with Binay, it is time to face the music and answer questions. It’s the only way we might have better discussions that go beyond the mudslinging, the parinig, and the namecalling. It’s the only way we can go beyond the pettiness.

Sources:
http://www.manilatimes.net/mar-and-the-worlds-worst-airport/91404/
http://www.fef.org.ph/2015/06/dotc-a-shameful-failure/
http://www.mb.com.ph/on-the-mrt-3-disaster-and-dubious-contracts/

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/387063/news/nation/cayetano-evidence-not-enough-to-wrap-up-probe-on-vp-binay
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/110330/trillanes-himself-presents-evidence-vs-binay-in-senate-probe-on-alleged-hudcc-loans-irregularity
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/485254/news/nation/p134m-in-pag-ibig-loans-granted-to-vp-binay-linked-developers-trillanes