Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Presidential candidate Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte expressed empathy for Vice President Jejomar Binay, saying he understands the pressure on Binay to win the election on May 9.
According to Duterte, most members of the Binay family will have to face the court if the Vice President loses his bid for the highest position.
"If he doesn't win the election, he and many members of his family will go to jail," Duterte said.
Duterte once described the Binays as a 'basketball team'— referring to the allegations of corruption hurled against his son former Makati Mayor Junjun Binay and his wife, Dr. Elenita Binay, who also served as mayor of the city.
Junjun is facing graft and criminal charges before the Sandiganbayan in relation to the overpriced Makati parking building. Elenita, meanwhile, is facing charges for the alleged anomalous purchase of hospital equipment amounting to millions of pesos.
Duterte has always taken swipes at Binay's alleged ill-gotten wealth, saying the Vice President is the only candidate who does not have the moral ascendancy to talk about ending corruption.
"He cannot talk about fighting corruption because he has baggage," Duterte said.
Duterte's candidacy has placed fighting corruption at the center of his agenda - along with criminality and proliferation of illegal drugs.
Duterte also slammed Binay for the vice president's statement on summary killings which, according to Binay, makes Duterte a very dangerous man.
Binay took a swipe on Duterte over the summary killings in Davao City where some of the victims are minors.
In an interview on Friday (April 8) Duterte said that he too is against summary killings especially of minors and the innocents. The city mayor said that not once did he acknowledge that he was in favor of summary killings.
Binay to Duterte: You are boastful, heartless, and a liar
Binay, in a statement on Saturday (April 9), insisted it was Duterte himself who admitted in public that he is involved in extrajudicial killings.
"Mayor Duterte palaging pinagyayabang mo na marami kang pinatay, ngayon ito ay tinatanggi mo," Binay said.
"Make up your mind, berdugong mamamatay tao. The presidency is not for the unprincipled and the inconsistent. It is not for liars, braggarts, and most especially merciless killers."
[Translation: Mayor Duterte you always say you killed a lot of people, and now you deny it. Make up your mind you executioner. The presidency is not for the unprincipled and the inconsistent. It is not for liars, braggarts, and most especially merciless killers.]
Binay also said it is not Duterte the country needs.
"Ang walang awang pagpatay mo sa mga napaghihinalaang lumabag sa batas ay hindi makatao. Ito ay hindi naaayon sa batas ng Diyos at tao, at isang pangbabastos sa karapatang pantao," said Binay.
[Your merciless killings of those who are suspected criminals are not humane. It is not lawful, both in the eyes of God and of the people, and it is also offensive for human rights.]
"We do not need a leader who wantonly disregards the sanctity of human life and whose only wrong solution to the pressing problem of poverty is to kill the poor," the vice president continued.
Binay pointed out that Duterte is boastful, heartless and a liar — and that it should be the mayor's slogan.
Duterte targets Roxas' face in firing range
Meanwhile, in his campaign rally in Alabang on Friday, Duterte said he got posters of one of his rivals Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, which he uses when he visits the firing range every week.
He shared this story when he recalled his word war with Roxas earlier. They got into a word war where they dared each other to a slapping match, fist fight and even a gun duel.
"Alam ba ni Mar yung sinasabi niya? Maglaban ka sa akin na halos linggo-linggo doon ako sa firing range, ang mukha niya ang target ko," Duterte said.
"Kinuha ko yung isang poster niya, hindi, dalawa. Tapat ko lang sa malayo. Tapos mag-draw. Pak pak pak pak! Punta ka nang Davao, parang may nunal niya dito," the mayor said pointing to his face.
Duterte and his running mate Alan Cayetano campaigned in Las Pinas, Paranaque and Alabang where large crowds welcomed them.
They had a motorcade which moved slow because of the people blocking the roads.
They concluded their trip to southern Metro Manila at a campaign rally in Filinvest, Alabang where they were joined by some of the senatorial candidates the tandem is endorsing.
CNN Philippines’ Ina Andolong, Joyce Ilas, and Davao-based journalist Ben Tesiorna contributed to this report.
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