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This is bound to get even more complicated than it already is.
“Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay with members of the city council held their flag raising ceremony in front of the 22-story new city hall building while Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña held his in front of the old city hall building fronting J.P. Rizal St. accompanied by various officials of the city’s barangays,” reports Mike Frialde on Philstar.com.
The report noted: “Some 2,000 Binay supporters packed the city hall grounds. They came in response to a report that Peña and his supporters would try to storm the new city hall and forcefully evict Binay, who has been holed-up in his office at the building’s 21st floor since March 11.”
After the flag-raising, Binay spoke to the crowd, slamming the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) “for not respecting the 60-day temporary restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals which set aside the six-month preventive suspension against him by the Ombudsman.”
Binay stated, “Tayo po ay nakakuha na ng temporary restraining order. Subalit ito po ay ayaw galangin ng DILG. kaya po tayo ay andito pa rin dahil po nagdesisyon na ang korte pero ayaw nilang kilalanin. ‘di po ba pag may kwestyon, sa korte po, sila ang magdedesisyon? Sila po ang magsasabi kung ano ang magiging husga at kung ano ang magiging tama.”
Binay, of course, also thanked his supporters for not leaving him.
The report then went on to reveal that “at the old Makati City Hall, Peña told his gathered supporters that their flag-raising ceremony was historic, as it was the first time in 29 years that it was led by an acting mayor following the suspension of the elected mayor.”
The report pointed out that “Peña also brushed aside reports that he gathered his supporters to force Binay out of his office and forcibly takeover with the flag raising.”
“Isang makasaysayang umaga po sa inyong lahat. narito sa aking harapan ang aking mga kababayan. Yung napag-usapan na iilan, tila dinagsa ng napakarami hindi para pasukin o guluhin yung mga nasa kabila bagkus kundi para maidaos ng matiwasay ang pagpupugay sa watawat ng Pilipinas,” Peña said.
Photos: News clips
