Team DailyPedia
Last Sept. 15, Vice President Jejomar Binay attended a Forum on Governance, Transparency and Social Transformation at the UPLB (University of the Philippines Los Banos.) It started on a formal note, but when the VP opened himself up to aquestion-and-answer round, things quickly became intense.
As students fired off a volley of questions, some attending the forum quickly sent updates via Twitter and Facebook on how Binay was being evasive, sometimes even professing ignorance of certain laws. With a quick click of keys and a few swipes of a mouse, the VP’s punchlines quickly became satirical tweets, his face immortalized in picture memes, and the hashtag #BinayBwisitsUPLB trended swiftly.
After attending the forum, FB user Gabriel Umadhay, posted this status message: “I was laughing with all the answers he gave and I thought only pageants sugarcoat answers… However, in a different perspective I commend him for staying calm all through out. Ang talino mo po, (you’re very smart)… I believe he would use this ‘being an underdog’ as his approach to his publicity.”
Meanwhile, while at the forum, freshman Maricar Lagrada posted her reactions online. As Binay professed, “Actually, walang nakatakdang trabaho ang isang VP. Walang law na nagsasaad ng dapat na trabaho ko. Kaya, in terms of function ko sa administration ngayon, I’m not part of it, (Actually, a Vice President has no assigned tasks. There are no laws that state what my job should be. In terms of my functions as part of the administration, I’m not part of it.”) Lagrada retorted via Facebook: “HUWAW NAMAN. BA’T KA PA NAG-VP? WALA KA NAMAN PALANG TRABAHO EH. (Wow. So why did you run for VP if you don’t have any tasks to do?”)
“Kung makikialam ako, magagalit ang pulis, ang [defense department]. Sasabihin: ‘Di mo trabaho iyan.’ Administration ako, oo nga, pero organizationally, functionally, wala akong function doon, (If I interfere, policemen will get angry, the defense department. They’ll say: ‘That’s not your job.’ I’m a part of the administration, yes, but organizationally, functionally, I don’t serve any functions there,”) Binay continued to explain. To which Rythana Cambel reacted: “So bakit kaya nagawa nyang makialam sa pulis nang iserve ang suspension ni Junjun Binay sa Makati? Medyo inconsistent Mr.VP. (So why did he interfere when policemen served suspension orders to Junjun Binay in Makati? You’re being inconsistent, Mr. VP.”)
As the Vice President seemingly flipped and floundered under the unrelenting direct questions of Iskos and Iskas, netizens were quick to remark that Binay was “nagisa sa sarili nyang mantika (simmered in his own juices.)” Some were quick to praise, professing their admiration of the brave students who stood up to question Binay.
“To UP students, you are historically knowned (sic) to be the bravest and most daring students of the country who are willing to fight for our countrymen. What you’ve done in this forum against Binay is hailed by our countrymen…” wrote FB user Jimmy Jkv.
Stee Sabigan was also impressed. “Mabuhay ang UPLB. Gisahin ang mga langwenta! (Long live, UPLB. Grill everyone who’s no-good!”)
Student Ericka Hidalgo offered these fighting words: “Please don’t come battling on our grounds unprepared, mister.”
