MANILA, Philippines - Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay has not officially won the vice presidential race, but he is already looking forward to working hand in hand with leading presidential candidate, Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.
“Noynoy, matutulog ka nang mahimbing sa akin. Sa hirap at ginhawa, itinaya na natin ang buhay natin sa Edsa. Hindi ko aagawin ang puwesto mo,” Binay said in a press conference at his office in Makati City on Wednesday.
Binay has had a long history with the Aquino family. He joined the August 21 movement when Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was assassinated in 1983.
The Makati City mayor stood by the side of late President Corazon Aquino when she ran for president in the 1985 snap elections and through the 1986 Edsa Revolution.
Sitting as the new president, Mrs. Aquino made her first appointment, installing Binay as mayor of Makati City.
Binay said he is sure that the young Aquino knows, he "won’t let his President down."
“Alam naman ni Noynoy na handa akong tumulong. Ako ay team player. Bakit hindi ko siya susuportahan kung siya ang gusto ng taong bayan?” he said.
Binay hopes that if he wins the vice presidential race and Noynoy Aquino asks him what department he would like to take on, he said he will ask for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
"Iyan ang expertise ko. Ako ang pinaka-senior local government official at kauna-unahang acting mayor after the Edsa Revolution,” he said.
A week before the elections, Binay told ABS-CBN News' Karen Davila in an interview over ANC that Aquino told him that he would be installed as DILG secretary.
Aquino later admitted the he offered the cabinet position to Binay, but that was before the mayor declared he is running for vice president.