Nancy Binay

Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay-Angeles[1] (born May 12, 1973)[3] is a Filipino politician and legislator who is currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. She is the daughter of former Vice President Jejomar Binay. Without any prior experience, Binay placed a bid for a seat in the Senate in the 2013 general elections and won placing fifth overall. After being elected, Binay chaired both the Cultural Communities and the Tourism Committees of the Senate in the 17th Congress. Binay was re-elected in the 2019 general election for a second consecutive term.

The Honorable Nancy Binay
Binay in 2018
Senator of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office June 30, 2013
Chair of the Philippine Senate Cultural Communities Committee
In office July 25, 2016 – July 22, 2019
Preceded by	Loren Legarda
Chair of the Philippine Senate Tourism and Climate Change Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office July 22, 2019
Personal details
Born	Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay[1] May 12, 1973 Makati, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Political party	United Nationalist Alliance PDP–Laban (2012–2014)
Spouse(s)	Jose Benjamin Angeles
Relations	Abigail Binay (sister) Junjun Binay (brother)
Children	4
Parents	Jejomar Binay (father) Elenita Binay (mother)
Residence	Makati
Alma mater	University of the Philippines-Diliman
Occupation	Politician
Net worth	₱60.3 million[2] (Dec. 31, 2019)

Education

Binay pursued her elementary and secondary education at St. Scholastica's College, Manila.[4] She entered the University of the Philippines in June 1991 initially studying culinary arts and later earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism from the University of the Philippines Diliman seven years later graduating in 1997.[4][5][6]

Political career

Nancy Binay is the eldest daughter of the former Vice President of the Philippines, Jejomar C. Binay [5][6][7][8] and Dr. Elenita Binay. Nancy Binay is also the older sister of Abigail Binay, the current mayor of Makati, and Jejomar Binay, Jr., former mayor of Makati.[1][5]

Between 1998 and 2001, she performed administrative duties as a personal assistant to her mother,[6][8] liaising between the Mayor's office and other governmental departments and offices as well as with the private sector. From 2010 she has been functioning as personal assistant to her father,[1][5][6][8] who is the Vice President at the time. In this role, she liaises between the Office of the Vice President and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, as well as with other local government offices. In 2012, she was listed as one of the top 20 potential senatorial candidates for the UNA.[4]

Senate

On October 5, 2012 Binay replaced Joey de Venecia to run for senator for the 2013 elections.[1][5][6][9] De Venecia had earlier withdrawn his candidacy from the UNA's ticket.[10][5] Binay is a member of the same party as her father's coalition, the United Nationalist Alliance[10] for which she was the Deputy Secretary General.[11] Leading up to her selection as a senatorial candidate for the alliance, Binay consistently ranked in the top 12 in the Pulse Asia November 2012 survey which ranked the popularity of potential candidates.[12][13] Binay is a child advocate. The charitable foundations with which she has been involved are geared towards caring for abandoned children and providing educational opportunities for the less fortunate. Her platform for the 2013 Senate elections is on improving the outlook for pregnant women, particularly those of poor economic status, as means of improving infant mortality and health.[14]

Binay has not attended any of the public debates for senatorial candidates, according to Prospero De Vera, "preferring to engage in debate when she's already in the Senate."[15]

She was selected as the 12th senatorial nominee for the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), and later won in the 2013 senatorial race and became a senatorial on the 16th Congress.[16]

16th Congress

Binay won in the 2013 senatorial elections, placing 5th place. She has been criticized for her silence on controversial issues regarding her father from 2013 to 2016, when her father Jejomar Binay, was the vice president of the Philippines, and her opposition to the anti-political dynasty bill as she is part of a political dynasty in Makati City, where her father, mother, and brother have become mayors. During the 16th Congress, she filed 119 bills and 151 resolutions advocating the interests of women and children, the youth, the elderly, and housing for the poor. Among her bills that passed into law were An Act Repealing the Crime of Premature Marriage under Article 251 of the Revised Penal Code (R.A. 10655), Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2015 (R.A. 10659), and An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability (R.A. 10754). She also sponsored the passage of the Centenarians Act of 2016 (R.A. 10868).[17] She aided in the presidential bid of her father during the 2016 Philippine presidential race. Her father, who initially placed 1st, eventually lost and placed 4th on election day.[18] Binay has been cyber-bullied by numerous Filipino social media comedic accounts due to her fashion sense during the annual SONA and her natural Filipino skin color, to a point that she has been compared with the Black Nazarene. She retaliated stating, 'I was born this way. We should just accept who we are'.[19]

17th Congress

In the 17th Congress, Binay supported the Anti-discrimination bill based on SOGIE[20] which protected the rights of Filipino LGBT citizens, the Mental Health Act[21] which establishes a nationwide mental health campaign and inputting of mental health education in the Filipino educational system, the Department of Culture bill[22] which aims to establish a holistic culture department, and the Free Higher Education Law[23] which provides free education in all public colleges and universities in the Philippines. She was co-sponsor of the Expanded Maternity Leave Law of 2017 (SB No. 1305) which grants 120-day maternity leave to female workers regardless of civil status, and The Filipino Sign Language Act (SB No. 1455), which declares the Filipino Sign Language as the national sign language of the Filipino deaf and the official sign language of the government in all transactions with the deaf. She also advocated for the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2017 (SB No. 1444) which enlarged the cover of protected areas in the Philippines, the First 1000 Days of Life Bill (SB 1145), and the amendment to the Local Government Act providing for permanent positions to tourism officers (SB 1565). She was against the re-imposition of the death penalty,[24] the 1,000 peso budget of the Commission on Human Rights,[25] and amending of the 1987 Constitution via a constitutional assembly. Binay favors a constitutional convention over a constitutional assembly. During the Burial of Ferdinand Marcos controversy, Binay abstained.[26] She has criticized the government for its deadly Philippine Drug War which has killed more than 14,000 Filipinos,[27] government's Presidential Communications Operations Office and government-hired bloggers which have caused the surge in Filipino fake news,[28] government's biased diplomacy with China, and the entrance of Chinese foreign ships in the Philippine Rise which was allowed by the President and his foreign affairs secretary.[29] The House Speaker threatened senators who were not in favor of a constitutional assembly, nonetheless, Binay stood her ground and urged politicians to implement the Local Government Code effectively first before a constitutional change via constitutional convention can begin.[30] In February, she urged government again to end contractualization, especially within government agencies.[31] In March, Binay criticized the management of Boracay,[32] and presidential palace for false alarming statements that caused public panic.[33] She also supported the proposed anti-dynasty bill in the Senate, surprising many as she was against it during her first three years as senator.[34] After the Quo warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno that ousted the Chief Justice, Binay chose to not sign the resolution challenging Sereno's ouster, citing that she 'respect the separation of powers between the legislative and judiciary'.[35] Binay backed the declaration of martial law in Mindanao in 2017[36] but left the Senate floor during the 2018 voting of the extension of martial law in the region, where majority voted in favor of extension.[37] She was one of the senators who voted in favor of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN Law).[38]

Personal life

Nancy Binay is married to Jose Benjamin Angeles,[1] a construction and real estate businessman with whom she has four children. They reside in Barangay San Antonio, Makati City.

References

1. "Nancy Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay – 39 – United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on March 12, 2013. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
2. "TABLE SUMMARY: 2019 STATEMENT OF ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND NET WORTH As of December 31, 2019" (PDF). senate.gov.ph. Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
3. "Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy S. Binay". Senate of the Philippines. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
4. Torrevillas, Domini M. (January 31, 2013). "Who is Nancy Binay?". The Philippine Star.
5. Quismundo, Tarra (October 5, 2012). "Binay eldest daughter UNA's 12th Senate bet". Inquirer News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
6. "Candidate for Senator 2013: Nancy Binay and her profile". Philippine Elections 2013. December 24, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
7. "Vice President's eldest daughter Nancy Binay-Angeles meets with Governor". Negros Occidental Provincial Government. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
8. Wenceslao E. Mateo Jr. "Nancy Binay is not just a daughter of the Vice President". The Daily Guardian. Archived from the original on January 1, 2014. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
9. "UNA's Nancy Binay: Black is beautiful". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
10. Reyes, Fat (October 5, 2012). "Binay daughter to continue family's 'dynasty of service'". Inquirer.net. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
11. "Nancy Binay Accidental Candidate". CBS News. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
12. Macaraig, Ayee (December 14, 2012). "Nancy Binay: The accidental candidate". Retrieved April 16, 2013.
13. Malig, Jojo (December 18, 2013). "Nancy Binay's popularity puzzling: analysts". ABS-CBNNews. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
14. Esguerra, Christian V. (April 7, 2013). "Being a Binay not Nancy's only credential". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
15. Malig, Jojo (May 7, 2013). "Nancy Binay absent in all debates, forums". ABS-CBN News.
16. Reyes, Fat (October 4, 2012). "UNA names Nancy Binay as 12th Senatorial Candidate". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
17. "Senate of the Philippines, 17th Congress: Senator Maria Lourdes Nancy Sombillo Binay". senate.gov.ph. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
18. Cepeda, Mara. "A year after defeat, Jejomar Binay back to what he loves most". Rappler. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
19. Podcast Ph (November 20, 2014), Nancy Binay on her skin complexion, retrieved June 7, 2019
20. Elemia, Camille. "After 17 years, LGBT anti-discrimination bill up for Senate debate". Rappler. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
21. "Senate of the Philippines: 17th Congress, Senate Bill No. 1354--MENTAL HEALTH ACT OF 2017". senate.gov.ph. June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
22. "Senate of the Philippines: 17th Congress, Senate Bill No. 1528--DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE ACT". August 14, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
23. "Philippines: Tuition-free education in state universities signed into law". gulfnews.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
24. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
25. Elemia, Camille. "Senators hit House over P1,000 CHR budget". Rappler. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
26. News, ABS-CBN. "Senate rejects resolution vs Marcos burial". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
27. Ballaran, Jhoanna. "Sen. Binay wants cops behind Kian death accountable for murder". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
28. Elemia, Camille. "Asec or blogger? Choose only one, Nancy Binay tells Mocha Uson". Rappler. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
29. Orellana, Faye. "Sen. Binay wants transparency in China's Benham maritime research". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
30. "Senate leaders downplay Alvarez's call not to elect senators against federalism". GMA News Online. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
31. "Senator Binay calls on gov't to end contractualization among agencies". GMA News Online. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
32. "Nancy Binay alarmed over 1-year Boracay closure". philstar.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
33. "Suspension of classes sans transport strike met with confusion, skepticism". philstar.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
34. "Kiko Pangilinan". www.facebook.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
35. News, ABS-CBN. "Majority of senators sign resolution challenging Sereno ouster". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
36. "15 senators back martial law in Mindanao". philstar.com. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
37. Lalu, Gabriel Pabico. "12 senators OK third martial law extension in Mindanao". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
38. II, Paterno Esmaquel. "Sonny Angara fends off TRAIN law criticism as he files COC". Rappler. Retrieved June 7, 2019.