Binay camp: Makati standoff bad for Aquino's legacy
Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin 'Junjun' Binay greets his supporters after he a TRO from the Court of Appeals blocking the suspension order from the Ombudsman on March 16, 2015. Photo by Ritchie Tongo/EPA
MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay on Saturday, March 21, warned that the continuing leadership standoff in Makati will reflect badly on the Aquino administration.
Binay spokesman Joey Salgado said the political tension in the city may send the wrong message to foreign investors and undermine the achievements of President Benigno Aquino III.
“We all know how important Makati is to the Philippine economy, being the country’s financial center. We have every reason to worry about the negative perception being created in the minds of foreign investors by this situation where the executive department, the [interior] secretary no less, for political purposes is impeding services and willfully violating an order of the court," Salgado said.
"What signal does that send to foreign investors?” he added.
The Binay spokesman is referring to the leadership confusion in the city, with both Binay and Vice Mayor Romulo Peña claiming the top spot.
Peña was sworn in as acting mayor last Monday following the service of the Ombudsman's 6-month preventive suspension order against Binay.
Binay, however, insisted that he remains Makati mayor because of a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Court of Appeals (CA) the same day.
But it is Peña who has the backing of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Ombudsman, and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The 3 agencies all agreed that the TRO issued by the appellate court was "moot and academic" because it came after the suspension had already been served.
Binay's camp has asked the CA to cite in contempt DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II and other officials for refusing to follow the court order.
Salgado added that the continued defiance of Roxas and the other government agencies would undermine the economic gains of the Aquino administration.
“Allowing the situation to drag on any longer would have an adverse impact on the legacy of President Aquino,” he said.
Meanwhile, Binay's lawyers said they are considering filing usurpation of authority charges against Peña after he issued a memorandum ordering city officials to recognize him as acting mayor.
Peña issued the notice to city councilors, department heads, and division chiefs on Friday, March 20. He directed city officials to submit all ordinances and official documents to him as he discharged his new duties as acting mayor.
Binay's lawyer Patricia Alvarez said that if Peña signed any official documents, it would be considered "in violation of the court order."
She added, “If the vice mayor does not comply or if the persons enjoined under the CA resolution do not comply with that order, then they will be liable for contempt."
On Friday, acting City Administrator Vissia Marie Aldon also said that city officials have rejected Peña's memorandum.
“We recognize Mayor Jun Binay as the chief executive of Makati. We have to respect the decision of the courts. To us city officials, not once did Makati have two mayors. We only have one mayor, and that is Mayor Binay,” Aldon said.
Binay and other Makati city officials were ordered suspended for 6 months by the Ombudsman last Wednesday, March 11, pending an investigation into the alleged anomalies surrounding the contract and construction of a Makati City Hall annex building. – Rappler.com
