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They’ve made their choice.
“The members of the Makati City Council on Wed, Mar 18, declared support for Mayor Junjun Binay as the local government’s chief,” reports ABS-CBNnews.com.
Councilor Maria Alethea Casal-Uy said in a statement read during a press briefing: “Based on the temporary restraining order (TRO) [issued by the Court of Appeals or CA], Mayor Jun Binay is still the Mayor of Makati. We support his stand of carrying on with his duties as chief executive, and we also intend to continue doing our part as legislators.”
The report noted that “all the members of the council were present at the press briefing, except for two who were out of town.”
The following councilors were in attendance:
1. Maria Alethea Casal-Uy
2. Israel Cruzado
3. Manuel Monsour del Rosario III
4. Maria Theresa de Lara
5. Ferdinand Eusebio
6. Virgilio Hilario
7. Henry Jacome
8. Arnold Magpantay
9. Leonardo Magpantay
10. Romeo Medina
11. Nelson Pasia
12. Vincent Sese
13. Mary Ruth Tolentino
14. Ma. Concepcion Yabut
15. Ma. Arlene Ortega
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) served Binay’s suspension order from the Ombudsman on Mon morning, Mar 16. The suspension order is in connection with the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II.
Shortly after the suspension was served, Makati Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr. took his oath to serve as acting mayor. However, after about three hours, the CA halted the suspension order with a 60-day TRO and directed all camps to argue the case in court at the end of the month. In this case, the TRO was supposed to have reinstated Binay as mayor.
However, the DILG dismissed the CA’s TRO, saying that “there was nothing to restrain anymore.” The Ombudsman and the Department of Justice concurred with the DOJ and insisted Peña is still acting mayor.
