Peña denies shutting down Binay daughter’s office

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Makati City Mayor Romulo Peña yesterday denied Rep. Marlen Abigail Binay’s claim that she was kicked out of her office at the city hall.

Gilbert de los Reyes, spokesman for Peña, said no eviction order was issued by the mayor.

According to De los Reyes, it was Binay’s staff members who padlocked her office after cleaning it.

“Mayor Peña will not resort to bullying, especially since he himself experienced that during his term as vice mayor,” he said in a text message to The STAR.  “They were the ones who vacated the office.”

Binay, daughter of Vice President Jejomar Binay, uses the office as representative of Makati’s second district.

Binay is running against Peña for Makati mayor in 2016 after his brother, Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, had been dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman from public service in connection with the allegedly overpriced Makati Science High School Building.

A newspaper report quoted Binay as accusing Peña of exacting revenge on her family by ordering the shutting down of her office at the Makati City Hall building.

Binay claimed that Peña gave her until Nov. 11 to vacate her office as it would be occupied by acting Vice Mayor Leonardo Magpantay.

She claimed that personnel detailed to the office of first district Rep. Monique Yasmin Lagdameo, an ally of the Binays, were also told to report to their mother unit.

Members of the House of Representatives have a budget for their district offices and personnel.

“Such display of pettiness and bullying unmask the lie behind the claim of the acting Makati leadership of good governance. What they represent is narrow and vindictive politics that places pettiness above public interest,” Binay said.

“Despite this, we will continue to serve the people of Makati as we have done for the past nine years,” she added.

Binay said her constituents go to her city hall office for any assistance they need.

De los Reyes denied that Binay’s personnel were recalled.

He said the contracts of the staff members of Binay and Lagdameo have been renewed.

Lagdameo is Binay’s running mate in next year’s elections.