Peña denies evicting Abby Binay from Makati field office

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Saturday denied the allegation of Makati 2^nd District Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay that she was evicted out of her office at the Makati City Hall on orders by the city mayor.

In a statement, Gilbert delos Reyes, acting Makati City spokesman said no eviction order or memo was issued by Peña.

According to Delos Reyes, it was the staff of Binay who padlocked her office after cleaning it.

“Sila yung nagpapalinis ng office at nag-lock. Never mang-aapi si Mayor (Peña) lalo’t naranasan niya yan in his almost five years as vice mayor,” said Delos Reyes in a text message to The Star.

“Sila mismo nag-vacate. As far as I know, walang na-issue na memo ang Mayor’s Office ordering such,” Delos Reyes added.

Binay is running for the city’s mayoralty post after his brother Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay was ordered barred by the Ombudsman from further holding any elective post. She will be facing Peña at the polls in May for the Makati mayoralty race.

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

Binay was also quoted in the report as saying that Peña gave her until November 11 to vacate her city hall office as it was to be occupied by acting city vice mayor Leonardo Magpantay.

According to the newspaper report, Binay said that city government employees who were attached to her congressional office were also recalled and ordered to report to their mother units.

Delos Reyes however denied that Binay’s staff were recalled as the contracts of her employees as well as the staff members of the office of Makati City 1^st District Rep. Monique Lagdameo have been renewed. Lagdameo is Binay’s running mate in the polls next year.