VP bets say they are not just ‘spare tires’

Believing that the post they are seeking is not just a "spare tire," vice presidential aspirants on Thursday revealed what they would do once elected. During the press conference for GMA’s Isang Tanong: The Vice Presidential Forum, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay of the United Opposition and actor Edu Manzano of Lakas-Kampi-CMD said they would like to utilize their ‘expertise’ on local governance and law enforcement by heading the Department of Interior and Local Government. Dominador Chipeco of Ang Kapatiran would like to be the Labor secretary, Perfecto Yasay Jr of Bangon Pilipinas wants to be in charge of trade and investment, and former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando would like to supervise all the infrastructure agencies. Senator Loren Legarda would like to lead the government program against hunger while Senator Manuel Roxas II and broadcaster Jay Sonza said they would give the president a free hand to decide what other government function should be given to them.

Binay added that his president would be able to sleep well “dahil ni isang segundo ay hindi ko iisipin na agawin ang kanyang pagkapangulo (I would not dream, even for a second, of taking the presidency from him)." He, however, said he is qualified to the country’s top post being a local government official since 1986. For his part, Manzano believed that aside from his experience in local governance when he was vice mayor of Makati in 1998 and in law enforcement being head of the Optical Media Board, he can also contribute in education. “I would like to make a contribution when it comes to education. I attended several conventions recently and I saw that the only way we can truly achieve economic prosperity is for us to become globally competitive. I believe that the most effective route to economic development is for us to improve our human capital and we can do it via education," he said. Chipeco said he wants to help workers and overseas Filipino workers. “I want to be placed in a position where I can have an immediate impact on the most vulnerable sector of our society today and those are the workers," he said. Chipeco, running mate of JC delos Reyes, was a human resources director of a multinational company. Yasay, a former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, believed that he would be able to serve well in the area of trade and investment. “I can play a very important role (in that area) and push hard not only for the democratization of the ownership the resources of our country but more importantly to democratize the wealth creation for our people," he said. Fernando said his expertise on technical things, being an engineer by profession, could help him rid the government of corruption in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC). “Ang nais ko ay payagan niya ako na subaybayan ko ang iba’t ibang mga departamento lalo na yung may kinalamang technical gaya ng DPWH at DOTC, mga infrastructure agencies kung saan ginugugol natin ang pinakamalaking bahagi ng pera ng gobyerno, 60 porsyento ang ginugugol natin at dyan din ang pinakamaraming korupsyon kaya gagamitin ko ang aking karanasan bilang isang inhenyero," he said. (We are spending 60 percent of our national budget in infrastructure projects so it is where corruption happens. I will use my knowledge and experience as an engineer to curb that.) Legarda said she has no preferred department to lead but she will be a 24/7 vice president who would prioritize addressing food problems and hunger. “Hindi ako hihingi ng anumang posisyon sa aking pangulo, pero ang kauna-unahan kong gustong bigyan ng pansin ay ang laban sa gutom (I will not ask for a certain position. I will leave that to the president. But once elected, I will focus on the problem on hunger)," she said. - KBK, GMANews.TV