No concerted effort to persecute Binay — Palace

Malacañang denied yesterday there was a concerted effort to persecute Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, saying the investigating agencies were merely acting on complaints of graft and corruption against him.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio in separate interviews expressed amusement over Binay’s move to barricade Makati City Hall, saying an investigation does not automatically mean that he would be suspended.

"I don’t know what political persecution they are talking about because all the actions of the Arroyo administration are based on the law," Ermita said. "Maybe those are just knee-jerk reactions because we have some officials who were suspended under the law."

He confirmed that the Palace had ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate complaints on Binay’s alleged hiring of ghost employees.

Ermita said the DILG is expected to come out this week with a decision on whether or not to slap a preventive suspension on Binay while a preliminary investigation is being conducted. He said the move, if imposed, is meant to prevent him from influencing the probe.

Meanwhile, Claudio said Binay might have "misread" the election law on the cut-off dates for the slapping of suspension orders against local officials. He said the Commission on Elections has set the cut-off date to 120 days prior to the election day.

"There is no political persecution. What is happening is just part of the legal process that we must respect. But this is not to suggest there will really be suspension orders," he told The STAR in an interview. "He is trying to make a martyr of himself and create undue panic, undue anxiety and anguish as well as psychological and physical exhaustion among his followers."

In a related development, a former councilor is set to intervene in the criminal and administrative cases filed against Binay.

Francisco Ibay, former 1st district councilor of Makati, said that because of his belief that the charges lodged against the mayor have strong basis, he will formally assume the role of an intervenor in these cases before the court.

"I am conferring with my lawyers as to my plan to become a petitioner-intervenor in the cases before the DILG and the Sandiganbayan. As a taxpayer and a former councilor who became chairman of the committee on rules, I have every right to intervene in the cases," Ibay said.

He added that with the help of his lawyers, he is now securing all the pertinent documents that can be used to support claims of wrongdoings by the mayor.

Ibay ran for Makati mayor during the May 2004 elections, but was defeated by Binay.

Binay has shrugged off Ibay’s accusation, saying that just like the case filed against him by Roberto Brillante, the timing and motives are questionable.

"We have already submitted pertinent documents to prove that all the supposed "ghost employees" mentioned in the paper are actually warm bodies who are currently working here," Binay said. He added that each department head at the City Hall have already submitted an affidavit to support each employee certification.