VICE President Jejomar Binay was jeered after dodging questions from students of the University of the Philippines-Los Baños during an open forum Tuesday night.
He got into a heated exchange with the students during the question-and-answer portion of the event called “Forum on Governance, Transparency and Social Transformation”.
Earlier in his speech, Binay first criticized the leadership-style of President Benigno Aquino III and blamed the lack of decentralization for the slow decision-making process in the government.
He made his speech even as Malacañang on Wednesday said he should answer the corruption allegations against him in reaction to his speech in Los Baños.
Binay is running for President next year and on Wednesday his camp said Senator Ferdinand Marcos was among those being considered to be his vice presidential running mate.
But a highly placed source said Senators Panfilo Lacson and Gringo Honasan were the two other possible candidates being considered by his search committee.
Binay in Los Baños also slammed his potential rivals in the presidential race for their supposed lack of experience, incompetence and indifference.
But Binay found himself in the hot seat when the students started asking him why he was blaming the Aquino administration’s incompetence when he was part of it.
Binay was a member of Aquino’s Cabinet for five years until he resigned in June to launch his presidential bid.
A student cited his role at the UP Los Baños where he was vice chairman of the university’s student council and was active in his post.
“I hope you too become active. To say you cannot do anything or you don’t have control—what does that say about our government?” the student said.
Binay was stunned when agriculture student Lucky Patrick Lopez asked him why there were many squatters in Makati, the country’s financial district, when he claimed there was none.
Binay was likewise criticized for being accused of earning kickbacks from overpriced buildings, bid rigging and programs with ghost beneficiaries.