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Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Makati mayor vows to fight suspension
MANILA -- Before hundreds of his supporters, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay on Monday vowed no let-up in his fight against the Arroyo administration as he called on the people not to vote for administration candidates.
"We will continue this struggle no matter how long and at what cost until after we can have a just community where men and women can live on," said Binay quoting the words of former senator and freedom fighter Jose Diokno.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
"It's a time for a referendum. Let us not vote for the candidates of Mrs. Gloria Arroyo. We should keep bear in mind that the people in Malacañang starting from their President cannot and should not be trusted," added Binay in Monday's flag-raising ceremony at the Makati City Hall quadrangle as he appealed to the people to unite for the good of the country. Binay heads the United Opposition (UNO).
He criticized the Arroyo administration for the moves against him saying that these showed "their complete disregard for the rule of law and the welfare of the people."
Binay was referring to the garnishment order issued last May 2 by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) freezing the accounts of the City Government in 34 banks to compel the City to settle the P1.1 billion in unpaid withholding taxes and last Friday's suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged hiring of "ghost" employees by the City.
The BIR has already lifted the freeze order while the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has put in abeyance the suspension to give Binay enough time to comment on the case.
The six-month preventive suspension stemmed from the recommendation of a five-man panel chaired by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro after finding sufficient evidence against Binay and City Treasurer Luz Yamane for allegedly maintaining "ghost employees" at the Makati City Hall from 2004- 2005.
Although he insists that he is still the mayor, Binay said even he, a lawyer, could not understand the contradictory statements of Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Undersecretary Marius Corpus.
Makati public information officer Joey Salgado said the suspension order effectively left Makati with no chief executive.
"With the mayor technically suspended according to the DILG and the vice mayor not sworn in as acting mayor, then the question is who is the person with the powers to exercise the authority of a local chief executive?" Salgado said.
Puno earlier put on hold Binay's suspension until after the May 14 election but Corpus said the official is technically suspended and can't sign documents and papers. Corpus explained that the suspension order was implemented last Friday but the process was not completed since there was no oath taking for the vice mayor.
Binay blamed Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) chairman Efraim Genuino, whose two sons Anthony and Erwin are running for councilor and congressman in the second district of Makati, as the one behind the moves against him.
Puno said they have two days to get the nod of the Office of the Ombudsman on the deferment of the suspension order against Binay.
He also said as far as he knows, Binay is also filing a petition for a temporary restraining order before the Court of Appeals (CA).
He said they would wait for two days for the action of the Ombudsman on their petition to defer the suspension or the CA on Binay's appeal before deciding what to do next.
He said until then, they would not forcibly evict Binay out of the Makati City Hall.
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol, on the other hand, said they would let the Ombudsman decide Binay's fate stressing that politics had nothing to do with the charges or the suspension.
Apostol said if the Ombudsman decides to push through with the imposition of the suspension then neither Malacañang nor the DILG can do anything except honor and serve the order.
Presidential adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio, for his part, laughed off the claims of Binay that the supposed harassment by Malacañang would lead to sympathy votes for him and the rest of Genuine Opposition senatorial candidates.
Claudio said politics had nothing to do with the graft and corruption charges slapped against Binay.
Senator Ralph Recto, who is running for reelection under the administration's banner, said any repeat of the Binay imbroglio at the homestretch of the campaign would hurt Team Unity's chances of a big victory in the elections.
"What happened in Makati should not be allowed to take place in any other town between now and May 14," he said. (AH/JR/CPB/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Baguio. (May 8, 2007 issue)
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