Makati employees stage support rally for Binay family

MANILA, Philippines — Employees of the Makati City government on Monday morning assembled at the grounds of the Makati City Hall to show their support for the embattled family of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

The employees, wearing black shirts with orange ribbons also lashed at what they call as the "sham Senate investigation" which they say is being used against the Binay family to promote the selfish interest of some politicians angling for a higher post in 2016.

According to the Makati City government, the show of support was replicated at the city's various barangay halls during yesterday's flag-raising ceremonies by barangay officials and residents.

During the rally at the city hall grounds, some city scholars, senior citizens and employees took turns in giving their personal testimonies about how they have benefited from the Binay administration in Makati.

Lester Paul Taguiam, president of the youth sector of Barangay Southside, said he is a product of the city’s quality public education. Taguiam graduated with honors (cum laude) from the K to 12 senior high school program at the University of Makati last April.

"Sa Makati, sementado ang daan tungo sa magandang kinabukasan ng kabataan. Sa Taguig, baku-bako at maputik ang daan, at mamamatay ka sa hirap sa baha," he said.

Taguiam also cited the city’s summer employment programs and the Sports, Music, Arts and Recreational Training (SMART) for the youth, which draws thousands of participants each year. "Walang ganyan sa Taguig!" he exclaimed, lamenting the years of neglect suffered by Barangay Southside under the local government of Taguig.

Makati's public schools from preschool to college have reported a combined total of over 11,000 students who are residents of Taguig.

Meanwhile, Ivan Carlo Benitez, a Bigay Pagmamahal Foundation scholar taking up Accountancy at UMak, thanked Vice President Binay and his son Mayor Jun Binay for their program on education that has given him the privilege of studying at the country’s first ISO-certified locally owned university.

A senior citizen, Anita Bay of Brgy. Guadalupe Viejo, gave an impassioned account of how the senior citizens program of the Binay administration has livened up her life.

She vowed to support the Vice President’s bid for the presidency, as she said she wanted all senior citizens around the country to also enjoy the privileges of Makati’s elderly. "Vice President Binay, ipaglalaban ka ng mga senior citizens!" she said.

Xenilet Camarce, a community worker and coordinator of Makati Action Center for 20 years, spoke of the many social benefits made accessible to all residents in the barangays. As an employee, she said she was thankful to the Binay administration for its health care program, including the free medicines program, that have made life much easier for people suffering from lifestyle diseases that need expensive maintenance medicines.

Camarce also said she has personally witnessed how, during calamities like floods and fires in the city, the Vice President and his son, Mayor Binay, would be among the first to respond. "Kapag may sunog, dumarating sila. Kapag may baha, nandiyan din sila."

"Pati sa relocation areas, dumadamay agad sila pag may kalamidad,” she said.

She also challenged the senators leading the investigation to first try to replicate the achievements of the Vice President instead of trying to bring him down.

"Hinahamon ko kayo na pantayan muna, kahit kalahati man lang ng mga nagawa na ni Vice President Binay," she said.