Sandy Araneta
MAKATI Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay on Thursday replaced her brother ousted Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay as the United National Alliance’s official candidate for mayor in the May 9, 2016 elections.
Abigail, who is on her third and final term as a lawmaker and the fourth member of the Binay family to run for mayor in Makati, filed her certificate of candidacy together with her running mate and fellow Makati Rep. Monique Lagdameo of the city’s first district.
The two incumbent lady lawmakers are going against the tandem of Liberal Party candidates acting city Mayor Romulo Peña and Karla Mercado, daughter of former Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado who is the principal witness in the Senate investigation of allegations of corruption in city hall.
Running for councilors under the ticket of Binay for District 1 are singer Rico J. Puno, actors Jhong Hilario and Monsour del Rosario, Mayeth Casal-Uy, Ferdie Eusebio, Jojo Javier, Romy Medina and Arlene Ortega Rico, and for District 2 are Iony De Lara, Divine Jacome, Baby Olfato, Arleen Pangilinan, Doc Pasia, Mary Ruth Tolentino, Bing Villamor and Nemesio Yabut Jr.
Abigail’s husband Luis Campos is also set to run for the post to be vacated by his wife in June next year while Ma. Concepcion Yabut, widow of the late former Vice Mayor Arturo Yabut, will also run for the city’s first congressional district.
However, Campos and Yabut have not yet filed their CoCs at presstime.
Abigail was accompanied by her parents, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Elenita, and her siblings, Junjun, Senator Nancy Binay and Anne, when she filed her CoC around 10:30 a.m.
Binay will be the fourth member of the Binay family to run for mayor in Makati, which has been a stronghold of the family since the vice president was appointed as its officer-in-charge in 1986 by then President Corazon Aquino.
Elenita Binay also served as mayor of Makati City from 1998 to 2001.
Junjun was supposed to run for reelection in the May 9, 2016 elections but the Ombudsman’s decision to dismiss him from office prompted UNA to field Abigail.
“The party decided to field Rep. Abby Binay to run for mayor in 2016. She has the experience, capability and qualification to continue the services of Binay, the services intended for the poor,” Junjun said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Malacañang dismissed as “untrue and unfounded” the Binay camp’s claim that the government is harassing them after the Department of Interior and Local Government, accompanied by dozens of policemen, surrounded their home in Makati to serve the Ombudsman’s dismissal order last Wednesday.
“[The order was served by] an all-female personnel complement from the DILG. An all-female complement from the DILG’s NCR office was tasked to serve the Ombudsman’s order supported by the PNP. Allegations of harassment are untrue and unfounded,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
The camp of dismissed Makati City Mayor Binay accused the DILG of harassment after officials from the agency served an order of the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing him from his post.
Vice President Jejomar Binay’s spokesman Joey Salgado said DILG officials escorted by policemen went to Junjun’s residence in Barangay San Antonio in Makati City to serve the order.
Salgado said police cars and DILG vehicles surrounded the house on Wednesday morning, disturbing the neighborhood.
“The DILG was overacting. What they did was clearly harassment. Thankfully, Mayor Junjun’s children were already in school, otherwise, they would have been traumatized by the sight of their home surrounded by police cars,” Salgado said.