Junjun bemoans ‘special treatment’

MANILA, Philippines - Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay yesterday challenged the order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman for his preventive suspension for six months over the alleged overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2.

Binay said there was apparent haste in the issuance of the preventive suspension order, branding it as a “special express suspension.”

“Talagang may special treatment kaming mga Binay. Special Senate hearing, special COA (Commission on Audit) audit, special panel ng ombudsman, at ngayon, special express na suspension,” Binay said.

Binay said he was not surprised by the ombudsman’s decision to issue the preventive suspension, saying that the special panel of investigators includes prosecutors affiliated with former ombudsman Simeon Marcelo and lawyer Avelino Cruz.

Binay said Marcelo and Cruz are not only the lawyers of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, but are also his alleged “operators.”

Mayor Binay’s father Vice President Jejomar Binay defeated Roxas in the last vice presidential elections.

“Sino ang implementing agency ng aking suspension? Ang DILG na pinamumunuan ni Sec. Roxas,” he said.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has yet to be furnished with the copy of the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman against Mayor Binay.

Roxas said that once the DILG is furnished with suspension order by the ombudsman, his office is ready to enforce the order.

“I haven’t seen or read the order (from the ombudsman). But just the same, we will be performing our job to include enforcing orders coming from legal authorities like the regional trial court, Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals, ombudsman, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), among others,” Roxas said.

“We all need to respect the law and all legal orders. Nobody, including me, is above the law,” Roxas said.

Binay said his lawyers have filed yesterday a petition for certiorari asking the Court of Appeals to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the ombudsman’s suspension order.

He also vowed to exhaust all legal remedies and appealed for fair and equal treatment from the concerned government agencies.

Binay hopes that the courts would remain fair and impartial even if the ombudsman is not.

Binay said the Court of Appeals must first rule on his petition, as he argued that the order of the ombudsman placing him under preventive suspension is not final and immediately implementable. Binay also said he will not leave his City Hall office until the issue is resolved.

“I will exhaust all available remedies. I will continue discharging my duties as mayor until all legal remedies have been respected. While I belong to the opposition, I am still entitled to my rights like any Filipino citizen,” he said.

Binay’s lawyer Claro Certeza said until the Court of Appeals has decided for or against Binay’s petition for a temporary restraining order, Binay remains at his post as mayor.

“We have filed that petition and among the reliefs we are asking for is the issuance of a temporary restraining order. We believe that until such time that our prayer for a temporary restraining order is decided upon, they cannot remove him as mayor,” Certeza said.

“It is clear that the mayor is duly elected by hundreds and thousands of Makati residents. Maliwanag po yun (It is very clear). So I hope they respect the decision of the Makati electorate,” Certeza added.

Certeza said they would inform the DILG, which has yet to serve Binay’s preventive suspension order, that there is a pending petition for a restraining order.

“We believe the DILG has to respect this. There is no basis for the suspension. There are requirements before an elected official is suspended,” Certeza added.

Binay appealed for sobriety among Makati residents as he warned them against the lies and unjust persecution against his father Vice President Jejomar Binay.

He said the ongoing demolition had only one purpose: to prevent his father from serving as president of the country. – With Jaime Laude