Just follow suspension order, Makati mayor urged

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang yesterday appealed to Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. to follow the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the overpriced Makati City Hall parking building in order to avoid disruption of services in the city.

For four days now, Binay has holed up inside his office after the ombudsman ordered his six-month suspension. About 2,500 supporters have surrounded the city hall, affecting the delivery of services.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over dzRB that the feedback from some lawyers was that judges cancelled hearings in courts located in Makati City Hall because of too many people in area.

“It’s a very clear-cut situation and we’re hoping that it will not be aggravated,” Valte added. “I don’t think anybody wants an untoward incident to happen.”

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the “drama” staged by the Binay camp is not doing the city any good.

“In Makati, (issuance of) business permits and occupancy permits and real estate tax filing – all these are being delayed. How many thousands of people can’t transact their business because of this drama?” he asked.

The ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension against Binay just days after it found probable cause to conduct a preliminary investigation.

Binay’s suspension stems from the administrative charges he is facing for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of government service because the Makati City Hall parking building was awarded to MANA Architecture & Interior Design Co. without public bidding and periodic payments were released to MANA without its corresponding deliverables under the contract.

The suspension order against Binay, which will be served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), is immediately executory unless a court issues a temporary restraining order against it. Binay’s camp has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) for a TRO.

But Rep. Toby Tiangco, of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalisr Alliance (UNA), cautioned that the Aquino administration’s Liberal Party (LP) will take over the Makati City Hall after the implementation of the suspension order against the younger Binay.

Valte refused to answer for LP when asked about the implications of having someone from the administration camp replace Binay while on preventive suspension.

She just said that the vice mayor is the legal and constitutional successor of Binay in case the CA upholds his suspension.

‘DILG not suspending LP members’

Tiangco also claimed that while the DILG is preparing to serve the suspension order, Roxas had not been keen on implementing the suspension order of LP party members in the past.

Tiangco cited a case of a northern Manila mayor who was also suspended by the ombudsman, but the DILG never implemented the order.

He also cited the case of a local executive in Cavite, another LP member, who was disqualified by the Commission on Elections but was able to keep his post until the time he got a favorable court decision.

Tiangco dared Roxas to personally serve the suspension order instead of denying that he has something to do with it.

Malacañang reminded that “calmer minds and cooler heads” should prevail.

“Because in this particular case, it’s only the DILG that was tasked by the Office of the Ombudsman to carry out the suspension order,” Valte said.

VP Binay hits Trillanes, Roxas

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who initiated the Senate investigation on corruption allegations against the Vice President and his family, yesterday alleged that Mayor Binay and his allies are refusing to vacate city hall because they are buying time to cover up the evidence linking them to corruption. – Aurea Calica, Persues Echeminada, Janvic Mateo, Marvin Sy, Jaime Laude