MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday expressed elation at being the subject of the first Philippine stamp depicting the inauguration of a vice president of the country.
Binay said it was a “double honor” for him to be featured in the stamp.
“I know it is an honor even for our President to be featured in such a manner, but for the number two man, the so-called spare tire of the national leadership, it would be a double honor,” Binay said in a speech before the stamps were launched at the Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) main office yesterday.
Binay joked about what could be his appearance on the stamp.
“I have just one apprehension, did you make me gwapo (good looking),” Binay remarked.
The launching of the inaugural stamps, which would be sold for P7 each, coincided with his 68th birthday yesterday.
Though small in size, stamps are big things in history, Binay added.
“But let me dwell on the significance of this little event. Stamps are little items — a few square millimeters, I might guess - but they are big things in history. And to be so honored in them, for instance depicting the inauguration of the vice president, is to honor the position itself,” he said.
Binay said the first vice presidential inaugural stamps and the postal service are here to stay.
“And that means it need not be me. It could be any vice president after me.”
Binay said the vice presidential stamps should start a tradition in the country’s postal service.
He said stamps are becoming a part of history with the use of email.
Instead of competing with the vastly speedier transmission of messages via email, Binay said the postal service must evolve by giving or creating for itself a role in the changing trend in communication technology.
“Perhaps the role that it will find itself will be in logistics. Perhaps as a state-operated logistics company, it can serve the bigger but more down-market sector of the population. I think that is where the modern postal service will be in the future,” he said.
Philpost officer in charge and Postmaster General Antonio de Guzman presented Binay with a framed set of vice presidential inaugural stamps and first day cover during the unveiling ceremony held at the Office of the Vice President.
The honor accorded to Binay was in contrast to the reported security embarrassment at the Manila Hotel where he was asked to leave a VIP area during the forum with former US President Bill Clinton on Wednesday.
According to Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado, “US embassy people and Clinton security” told the Vice President to leave the VIP holding area of the Manila Hotel.
This move surprised Binay, Salgado said, since the Vice President was an invited guest.
Salgado claimed members of the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation had ordered Binay to leave the area.
US ambassador Harry Thomas said he was unaware of the incident involving Binay.
Thomas said he saw Binay during the event but did not see any sign that there was a problem.
“I don’t know what the Vice President said so it would be very difficult,” Thomas said. — With Rainier Allan Ronda
By Jose Rodel Clapano
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