Team Binay in near sweep

Binay garnered 90,541 votes, or an insurmountable lead of 65,782 votes over the Lakas-CMD candidate Oscar Ibay.

Binay, Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and the city’s incumbent congressmen — Teodoro Locsin Jr. (first district) and Agapito Aquino (second district) — were proclaimed Thursday night by the city board of canvassers at the Barangay Olympia covered court where the canvassing for Makati votes were held.

The final tally also showed Mercado garnering 70,356 votes, with his nearest rival, Elena Maccay, garnering 30,865 votes.

In the congressional race, Locsin garnered 44,026 votes in Makati’s first district. His opponent, Donald Bitanga, received 5,121 votes. Aquino tallied 43,603 votes in the second district, while Antonio Manalili got 12,239 votes.

The Binay-led Performance Team also took 15 of the 16 seats for the City Council.

"This is a victory of track record and real public service over empty rhetoric and black propaganda," Binay said.

Binay and his team were proclaimed by the city board of canvassers headed by lawyer Lourdes Ugalino of the Commission on Elections, city fiscal Feliciano Aspi, and Dep-Ed Makati superintendent Elena Ruiz.

Among the 16 proclaimed councilors in the two districts, only Nemesio Yabut, an independent candidate, did not belong to Binay’s party.

Binay’s son, Jejomar Jr., topped the race for councilor in the first district with 78,926 votes while singer Enrico "Rico J." Puno finsished second with 72,123 votes.

Binay is one of the longest-serving local officials in Metro Manila. A street parliamentarian and human rights lawyer during the Marcos years, Binay was appointed officer-in-charge of Makati by President Corazon Aquino after the February 1986 Revolution. He was Mrs. Aquino’s first appointed local official.

Binay was elected mayor of Makati in 1988 and was reelected in 1992 and 1995. In 2001, he was again elected mayor.

Alongside improving Makati’s infrastructure, social services, health, and education, the Binay administration also put in place policies promoting business and investments. These policies have secured Makati’s position as the financial capital of the country and the local government unit with the highest per capita income, which stood at P5.965 billion in 2002.

Ibay, of the Lakas-CMD Party, said he would not concede because of poll fraud and cheating during the canvassing of votes.

According to Ibay, he has evidence to prove there was cheating during the canvassing. "There were ballot boxes that were already filled with fake returns," he said.

Ibay has also noted instances when his poll watchers were kicked out of the canvassing venue.

"My legal counsels are already studying the next legal action we will take," he said. "This is just not right. This is the dirtiest election I have ever been in."