Abi Binay to run for Makati mayor if brother Junjun will be disqualified

MANILA, Philippines - Makati City Rep. Abigail Binay will run for mayor of the city if her brother Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay will be perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

“If my brother cannot run, I would most probably have to run for mayor,” Binay told reporters on Friday.

Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, is on her third and last term as the representative of Makati's second district.

She said she would let her husband Luis Campos replace her as congressional candidate in 2016.

Campos is a neophyte in the political world, seeking public office for the first time.

Binay said her brother would exhaust all legal measures so that he could run for reelection in Makati City.

The Binay camp would file a motion for reconsideration to the ombudsman or elevate the case before the Court of Appeals or to the Supreme Court.

The ombudsman’s order for Binay Jr.’s dismissal from government service of Makati City stemmed from the administrative case he is facing over the alleged overpricing of the Makati parking building.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said Binay Jr. could still appeal the ruling but his perpetual disqualification from service is “immediately executory.” – Kristine Daguno-Bersamina