Gordon is very busy these days. At one time, I noticed he was in Panay, supervising the activities of the Philippine National Red Cross of which he is the chairman. In another time, he is in Mindanao, holding dialogues with officials on how to alleviate the effects of natural disaster.

The articulate Gordon now believes that action makes propaganda. Gordon does not have to say that he is running. But people are attaching significance to his moves. Many people I have talked to say Gordon is preparing. After all, about two years ago, Gordon made an announcement that he wants to start a dialogue with the Filipino on reforms. What else does that mean, except that he wants to run?

If Gordon runs, what would be his slogan and identity positioning? From his activities—not only here but also in Myanmar—it would be “service to the people.” For that is the essence of his activities—humanitarian work. Forget the old slogan that sounds like this: “Today Olongapo, tomorrow the Philippines.”

Now comes Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, the president of the United Nationalist Opposition (UNO) which is the core of the opposition to the Arroyo government. We observed two of his activities that show his interest in a position higher than managing the premier city of the country.

If you see Binay going the rounds of the archipelago, he is invariably forging sister-city accords with Makati. Sometimes, he is in Pangasinan, broadening his alliances for the future. Even small towns are not spared by his kind of charm offensive. I learned that the little town of Sta. Maria in Romblon is a recipient of the generosity of Makati.

Binay, through his foundation, is sponsoring a conference on leadership on July 29. He will be featuring Mr. Rudy Giuliani who will speak on “leadership in times of crisis.” I suppose Giuliani will focus his speech on his experience in the handling of 9/11 which happened in his city of New York.

The underlying message of the forum is that leadership is not only national, but also local. In a country which has not considered a mayor for the presidency (Manila mayors Arsenio Lacson and Alfredo Lim tried their luck but failed), the Giuliani speech may just change the rules of the game in selecting presidential standard bearers.

If you remember, Gordon tried to run for the highest position on the basis of excellence in managing Olongapo City where he was mayor for several terms. But he failed. The reason probably was that, in the minds of the voters, Olongapo was too small to become a model for governance. This time, Gordon is banking on wider national constituency.

By choice, Binay has never assumed a national post. But his leadership over Makati has made his name a byword all over the country. He can count on that name, along with his leadership over the core of the opposition. The only question for Binay would be his winning the nominations where there are strong contenders.

United Nations team goes to Sibuyan

We are glad that a team of experts from the United Nations is going to Sibuyan to solve the problem of the sunken Princess of the Stars. The people in the area want the ship to be refloated because of the toxic materials inside the boat. There is an existing ban on fishing in the waters of San, Fernando, Romblon.

They better do it fast. Department of Health Chief Francisco Duque describes the sunken boat as a time bomb. If the chemicals underneath mixes with water, then a wider fishing area will be affected, including the Tablas Straits and the waters fronting the Bicol region.

We should go to the root of the problem of this tragedy. Speaker Prospero Nograles has already called for investigation. But alongside those investigations should be a resolve by the government and the owners of Sulpicio to move ASAP for the sake of the people of Romblon and for the protection of the environment.

BRIEF NOTES. Expect a continuing debate on the appointment of Ms. Zenaida Ducut as chairman of the Energy Regulatory Commission. Already, there are derogatory reports about the connections of Ducut, a two-term congresswoman from Pampanga . . . Expect the giant electric firm to make its presence felt in this debate . . . Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao is sure to go to Beijing to carry the RP banner in the parade of athletes . . . The three-hour dress rehearsal for the opening ceremonies in the Beijing Olympics is finished. The only problem is when the rains come during the event . . . French President Sarkozy has backtracked from his plan to boycott the Olympics. He is now joining US President Bush in the opening ceremonies. By the way, President GMA will also be there.

The Manila Times Internet Edition | OPINION > Richard Gordon and Jejomar Binay

“If New York (the United States), Sydney (Australia) and Moscow (Russia) have their own grand celebration, this is our version,” Binay said.

“This is also our way to share love and to lead Filipinos in welcoming 2009 with hope and optimism.”

In neighboring Bonifacio Global City, streaks of red, yellow and green lit up the sky above The Fort where the Taguig city government threw a New Year countdown and street party for around 5,000 people, highlighted by a spectacular 15-minute fireworks presentation by the award-winning La Mancha pyrotechnics group.

At the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, executives and celebrities of the GMA 7 television network sponsored a grand party, to the delight of their fans and supporters.

Rained out

Some 10,000 people, under the watchful eye of 120 policemen, showed up at the Makati street party held at the corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues despite the intermittent showers.

“If not for the drizzle, more people could have come and celebrated with us,” Binay said.

The annual New Year countdown party in Makati also served as a fundraising event for the ABS-CBN Foundation’s “Sagip Kapamilya” to help indigent families.

To keep the crowd entertained, rock bands like Sandwich, Blue Ketchup, the Bloomfields and Brownman Revival performed their hit songs and revved up the crowd.

Dancing lights

Shortly before the stroke of midnight, Binay went up the makeshift stage and led the official countdown to 2009 as a splendid 10-minute fireworks display sponsored by the city government lit up the skies.

As the clock struck midnight at The Fort, organizers let loose a spectacle of light that seemed to dance to the rhythm of the music playing in the background.

As fireworks exploded in crimson and light green hues, yellow sparks formed a line of small rocket bursts, to cheers and applause from the crowd that packed the corner of 5th Avenue and 26th Street.

Lights from thousands of clicking cameras flashed incessantly as people tried to get a snapshot of the display. Others raised their beer bottles to greet the New Year, while some hugged the person next to them.

The display was excerpted from the La Mancha presentation that won third place in a fireworks competition in Hanover, Germany. La Mancha was one of the organizers of the World Pyrolympics held in the Philippines in 2005 and 2006.

“From the feedback that I heard, people loved last night’s fireworks display because it shot up really high,” said Senior Supt. Camilo Cascolan.

People started to trickle in at around 9 p.m., said Cascolan, who kept watch with a contingent of the Taguig police. After the party ended around 1 a.m., the police chief said he noticed more people arriving and the parking lots filling up with more cars.

P1-M prize money

Of those who attended the Makati event, Roque Ferfas almost went home the champion. But Ferfas narrowly missed taking home the much-coveted P1 million grand prize of the night’s raffle draw.

Ferfas only got to identify 14 Makati City logos, just two short to win the top prize, from the boxes that were flashed on the giant screen onstage, according to Fel Lim, one of the event organizers.

Lovelyn Fortaliza and Princess Saja also had the chance to pocket the P1-million prize, being among the 15 lucky partygoers who were selected by raffle draw to play the game.

Fortaliza and Saja only successfully identified eight and three Makati logos, respectively.

The three each took home P20,000 in cash, plus either a digital camera, Apple iPod and Sony Playstation Portable game console.

Participants needed only to donate any amount to the foundation to get one raffle stub.

“Although nobody won the P1 million, it was a successful night for the foundation,” Lim said.

INQUIRER.net

Jejomar “Jojo” C. Binay (November 11, 1942) is the current mayor of the City of Makati in the Philippines. He is also the president of the United Opposition (UNO), National President of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) and National President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Background

Jejomar Cabauatan Binay was born in Paco, Manila but grew up in Makati with his uncle, Ponciano, after Binay’s parents – Diego Medrano Binay of Bauan, Batangas and Lourdes Cabauatan of Cabagan, Isabela – passed away.

At a young age, Binay learned to rely on his resourcefulness and determination. He went around his neighborhood to gather slop for his uncle’s backyard piggery, looked after his uncle’s fighting cocks, and went to market daily.

Education and early career

As he grew up, Binay took on more odd jobs to support his studies.

Binay is a product of the Philippine public school system. He studied at the Philippine Normal College Training Department, University of the Philippines Preparatory High School and despite financial constraints, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and Bachelor of Laws from UP (LIB). In 1960, he joined Alpha Phi Omega International Service Fraternity in the University of the Philippines (Eta Chapter).

He passed the bar exams in 1968, and took masteral subjects in public administration and law in UP and the University of Sto. Tomas, respectively.

In between jobs and earning degrees, Binay gave lectures and taught law, political science and public administration at the then Philippine College of Commerce (now, Polytechnic University of the Philippines), Philippine Women’s University and St. Scholastica’s College.

While raising a family, Binay gave free legal assistance to poor clients and victims of human rights abuses during the Marcos regime. His passion for the protection of human rights developed during his student days in UP, where he was a member of the student council and was among the acknowledged firebrands of the burgeoning student movement.

Martial Law

From the University of the Philippines campus, Binay graduated to the parliament of the streets. He joined the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) and the August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM), formed shortly after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in August 1983. He also helped found the Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism, Inc. (MABINI), a group of progressive lawyers that include the late Senator Lorenzo Tañada, Sen. Wigberto Tañada, former Sen. Rene Saguisag and Sen. Joker Arroyo.

For helping political prisoners, many MABINI lawyers, including Binay, were locked up in local jails and military stockades.

Political career

Post EDSA Revolution

After the EDSA Revolution, President Corazon C. Aquino appointed Binay acting mayor of Makati. Binay was Aquino’s first appointed local official.

Binay was later elected mayor of Makati in 1988, during the first free elections under the Aquino administration, and was reelected in 1992 and 1995.

He was also appointed Governor of Metro Manila in 1987 in concurrent capacity and was later elected by his peers in Metro Manila as Chairman of the Metro Manila Authority.

Also during Corazon Aquino’s presidency, Binay found himself in the thick of action, this time in defense of the newly-restored democracy, during several failed military mutinies.

Binay joined pro-democracy forces in thwarting the mutinies. His active role in the defense of the Constitution earned him the nickname “Rambotito” (or little Rambo, after the screen hero), the Outstanding Achievement Medal and a special commendation from President Aquino herself.

His strengths as a mayor include his determination to provide quality education for all Makati residents. Makati public schools are among the best public schools in the Philippines, comparable to most private schools in terms of facilities and instruction. The local government of Makati, under Binay’s leadership has built pre schools, elementary/high schools and special education schools throughout Makati. The public school students’ books, school materials and school uniform are also subsidized by the local government. Binay also issued the first local government health card, called the “yellow card” to Makati residents which cover a certain amount of hospitalization costs. He was also the first to introduce free movie tickets to senior citizens subsidizing the costs wherein senior citizens could watch movies at Makati malls.

As MMDA Chairman

In 1998, Binay was appointed Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) with cabinet rank. He was also appointed as Vice-chairman of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission and Traffic Czar for Metro Manila.

Reelection as Mayor of Makati

Binay was reelected as mayor of Makati in 2001, winning over actor-TV host and then Vice Mayor Edu Manzano via landslide. In 2004, Binay ran for another term and won again by a landslide against Councilor Oscar Ibay.

He ran for his third and last term as mayor in 2007, beating incumbent Senator and actor Lito Lapid. His margin over Lapid has been considered as the largest margin in a local election in Makati City.

The Presidency

Binay (“Binay Na!”), the Philippines’ “Jo-bama” and the president of the United Opposition, is a Presidential candidate in the Philippine general election, 2010, who announced his bid at Makati City Hall in his 66th birthday on November 11, 2008. Amid 2,000 Makati and Zamboanga City supporters carrying streamers “Obama of the Philippines” and “Jojo Binay for President,” Binay released yellow and blue balloons with the print “Makati ngayon, Pilipinas bukas [Today Makati, tomorrow, the Philippines].” He will run under the banner of the Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban). 40 Zamboanga City civic and private organizations signed a manifesto to urge Binay to run for president. Meanwhile, Joseph Estrada stated: “Si Mayor Binay din naman ay may kapasidad, may abilidad. Napakita ni Mayor Binay yung kanyang kakayahan bilang chief executive ng premier city ng Pilipinas (Mayor Binay has the capacity and the ability. He has shown this as the chief executive of the country’s premier city).”

Suspension

In October 2006, the Office of the President through the Department of Interior and Local Government issued a suspension order against Binay, his vice mayor and all members of the City Council following an accusation of ‘ghost employees’ allegedly on the city payroll by former city councilor Roberto Brillante, a political rival.  The order suspending Binay and all elected city officials was signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita upon instruction of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

It was claimed this action was part of a government-sponsored drive to root out corruption ahead of the following year’s local elections but critics claimed it was designed to distract attention from the government’s own scandals around vote-rigging in the 2004 presidential election and to neuter opposition-held localities. Binay was the campaign manager of the opposition presidential candidate, actor Fernando Poe Jr. and had led protest actions in Makati following revelations of widespread poll cheating.

Makati residents, the political opposition and civil society groups stood by Binay, who barricaded himself inside the Makati City Hall. Among those who expressed their support were former President Aquino, actress Susan Roces – who is the widow of Arroyo’s rival in the 2004 presidential elections, Fernando Poe Jr. – and several Catholic bishops. After a three-day stand-off, the Court of Appeals stopped the Palace from unseating Binay. The appellate court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO). Before it lapsed, the court issued an injunction order, thereby preventing the Office of the President from enforcing its suspension order until the case is resolved.

After his legal victory over Malacanang, Binay was again upheld by the courts in a graft case filed by the Ombudsman over allegations of overpricing in the purchase of office furniture. The case was also filed by Brillante, who at that time was leading in Makati a Palace-supported signature campaign to amend the Constitution.

In a five page resolution, the Sandiganbayan Third Division dismissed the graft case filed against Binay and his six co-accused for lack of factual basis.

The court ruled that there was no probable cause to prosecute Binay, and that the criminal information “was devoid of any particulars as to how the figure was arrived at” and thus fatally defective. The resolution was written by Associate Justice Godofredo Legaspi and concurred in by Associate Justices Efren de la cruz and Norberto Geraldez.

BIR Garnishment

On May 2, 2007 the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) froze all the bank accounts of the city government of Makati and the personal accounts of Binay and his Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado.

The BIR issued the order after it said the city still owed the BIR P 1.1 billion in withholding taxes of city employees from 1999 to 2002. BIR revenue officer Roberto Baquiran signed and issued the warrant of garnishment against the bank accounts that belonged to Binay, his vice mayor, the city government and the city’s treasurer and accountant.

The city government protested the garnishment order, saying the city had already paid P200 million to the BIR as part of a settlement agreement agreed to by Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and former BIR chief Jose Bunag. The city also said the order was flawed, since Baquiran has no authority to issue writs of garnishment. Freezing the personal accounts of Binay and Mercado were also unlawful, they said. The city government also maintained that the freeze order would cripple city government services.

The garnishment orders were eventually lifted by Malacañang, but not after Binay slammed the move as politically motivated and patently illegal. Business leaders also voiced concern over the adverse effects of the unprecedented BIR action on public services in the country’s financial center.

And again, barely a week before Election Day, the Ombudsman suspended Binay based on allegations made by a local candidate allied with Malacanang. It would be revealed that the charges were supported by falsified statements. As president of the United Opposition (UNO), Binay had been very active in campaigning for the opposition bets for the Senate, and had been issuing critical statements against the Arroyo government. In a repeat of the October 2006 incident, heavily-armed policemen barged into the City Hall after office hours, forcibly opening the offices and occupying the building. Binay confronted police officials and representatives of the Department of Interior and Local Government, while hundreds of supporters once again swarmed the city hall quadrangle to show their support.

The suspension order generated national media attention, and prompted even administration senatorial candidates to protest publicly, saying the action further undermined their chances in the elections. In the election that followed, Binay and his entire slate in the polls won by a landslide. The opposition slate for the Senate eventually won by a landslide.

Personal life

Binay is married to Elenita Sombillo, a doctor of medicine. Dr. Elenita S. Binay was elected Mayor of Makati in the 1998 elections, and served until 2001. Their union bore them five children: Maria Lourdes Nancy, Mar-Len Abigail (currently serving as representative of 2nd District of Makati City), Jejomar Erwin (Makati City Councilor), Marita Angeline and Joanna Marie Blanca.

Civic Work

Binay is also active in civic work. Besides being a member of the Rotary Club of Makati, R.I. District 3830, he is currently on his third term as the National President of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines and has been elected Asia-Pacific Regional Scout Committee Chairman on February 8, 2008. He also holds electoral positions in international organizations, namely: Vice President for Membership (2006- 2008), United Cities and Local Governments-Asia Pacific Chapter; Life Honorary Member (since February 2001) and Member, World Executive Committee – International Union of Local Authorities-Asia Pacific; Member, Executive Committee (2006-2009), Network for Local Authorities for the Management of Human Settlement (CITYNET); and Chairman, Finance Sub-Committee, World Scout Organization. He also holds the rank of colonel in the Philippine Navy Reserve Force.

Higher Studies

Binay took up graduate studies at the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP), the Command and General Staff College (CGSC), the Center for Research and Communication (now known as the University of Asia and the Pacific), the Joint Services Command Staff College (JSCSC), and the UP School of Urban and Regional Planning. He was senior executive fellow of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

World Mayor

In 2006 Binay was chosen among the Top 10 Mayors of the World. In an on-line poll organized by CityMayors.com, Binay placed 4th overall behind John So of Melbourne, Australia, Job Cohen of Amsterdam, Netherlands and Stephen R. Reed, Harrisburg, USA.

Links

• Official Website
• Jejomar Binay Biography on makati.gov.ph
• Jejomar Binay in citymayors.com

Binay said Makati has been signing sisterhood agreements with various local governments even before he announced his interest to join the presidential race last month.

He said Makati has forged sisterhood ties with at least 130 cities and towns in the country.

In his visit here from Tuesday to Thursday, Binay met local officials and signed sisterhood ties with the cities of Alaminos and San Carlos and the towns of Mangaldan, Manaoag and San Quintin.

Makati earlier signed similar agreements with the towns of Binmaley, Sta. Barbara, San Fabian and Rosales and Urdaneta City.

Binay said these partnerships are mutual agreements between Makati and other local governments.

“We are approached by mayors for our cities and towns to become sisters,” he said.

While Makati is the most developed and prosperous city in the country, Binay said the city could still learn lessons from small cities and towns.

“We do not have a monopoly of good governance. We will also learn from your experiences,” he said.

Binay says Pangasinan trips not for 2010 – INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

More than 2,000 supporters from the city and the provinces carrying streamers like “Obama of the Philippines” and “Jojo Binay for President” gathered at 7 a.m. for a Thanksgiving Mass as they waited for the mayor to make the declaration.

In his speech, Binay, who is also the United Opposition president, criticized the Arroyo government by bringing up issues like the national broadband network scandal and the fertilizer fund scam and said there was need for another “revolution.”

“I am accepting your challenge to lead this revolution toward a progressive and respected Philippines,” said the activist and lawyer.

Binay was introduced by Makati Representative Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin Jr., who pointed out that the 19-year Makati mayor would like to be known for his “performance” and not his ambition.

“The city is the crowning testimony to his ability to lead the country,” Locsin said.

As to his programs, Binay said he would stamp out graft and corruption and focus on productivity and peace and order.

The mayor’s acceptance speech ended with the supporters releasing yellow and blue balloons with the print “Makati ngayon, Pilipinas bukas [Today Makati, tomorrow, the Philippines].”

INQUIRER.net,

“Si Mayor Binay din naman ay may kapasidad, may abilidad. Napakita ni Mayor Binay yung kanyang kakayahan bilang chief executive ng premier city ng Pilipinas (Mayor Binay has the capacity and the ability. He has shown this as the chief executive of the country’s premier city),” Estrada said in an interview over QTV’s Balitanghali.

Earlier in the day, Binay declared his presidential bid for the 2010 elections during the celebrations of his 66th birthday at the Makati City Hall.

Binay is included in UNO’s (United Opposition) bench of “presidentiables.” The Makati City mayor said he will accept it if UNO will not field him as their standard bearer. Binay is UNO president.

Estrada, however, said UNO has yet determine its standard bearer for the 2010 polls.

“Sa ngayon, wala pa tayong napipili. Kung sino ang nakikita nating pinakamalakas, yun ang pipiliin natin. Siguro mga one year before o less than a year before the elections malalaman na natin kung sinong nangunguna sa survey,’ Estrada said.

(As of now, we haven’t picked a standardbearer. We would probably pick the one we deem to be the strongest contender. I think that a year before or less than a year before the elections, the surveys will show who the top presidential picks are.)

Estrada added he hopes the opposition will unite to boost their chances in winning in the 2010 elections. He said the UNO can learn from the recently concluded United States elections where Democrat Senator Barack Obama emerged victorious.

“Sana magkaisa ang opposisyon para masiguro ang panalo ng opposisyon. Sa nakaraang eleksyon ay apat-apat ang kumandidato, kaya madaling nadaya. Mukhang nangyari nung 2004 eleksyon, pinaghiwahiwalay ang mga boto ni FPJ [Fernando Poe Jr] at nagdagdag-bawas pa,” Estrada said.

(I hope the opposition unites to ensure our win. We had four candidates in the last elections that’s why we were easily cheated. FPJ’s votes were reduced and I believe there was vote-padding and vote-slashing.)

Last week, UNO spokesperson Lawyer Adel Tamano said the opposition will try to field a single candidate for next elections in an effort to “emulate” the US election system where during the primaries, Democrats and Republicans vote for a single standard-bearer for the general elections.

Tamano added that President-elect Obama serves as their inspiration as his victory proves that it is possible to stand up against “the machinery and the money of the powerful.” – GMANews.TV

GMANews.TV

The twin moves on the crucial last week of the election campaign came after the media reported that Binay had asked his supporters to thank President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for ensuring his reelection by harassing him.

Ms Arroyo’s allies had also assailed the timing of the suspension and the freezing of Makati’s assets.

“It’s a case of too little, too late,” Binay said of the latest moves taken by Malacañang.

“It will not change the fact that this regime has again misused the powers of government for political ends at the expense of public welfare,” he said in a statement.

Binay, who is facing administration Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid in the mayoral race, was served a suspension order late Friday night in connection with a plunder case filed by a political rival with the Office of the Ombudsman.

Two days before, the Bureau of Internal Revenue froze all the bank accounts of the city government and the personal accounts of Binay and Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado in what the BIR said was an effort to recover P1.1 billion in alleged unpaid taxes.

The freeze order threatened to cripple operations at City Hall.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno said the preventive suspension of Binay would be deferred “for the duration of the election period.”

In a statement, Puno said he was putting off the suspension “in the spirit of fair play.”

The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of Binay — his second in six months — while he was being investigated for allegedly filling the city payroll with “ghost employees.”

Assistant Interior Secretary Brian Yamsuan said the “deferment” was actually “the continuation of the dialogue” between Binay and Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus and the Philippine National Police on Friday.

“We wanted to be civil and prudent, that’s why there was a dialogue. We acted in good faith,” Yamsuan said in a telephone interview.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government implemented the suspension order on Friday because it could be charged with dereliction of duty if it did not, he said.

Tension gripped the Makati City Hall on Friday night after DILG officials, armed with a suspension order from the Ombudsman, tried to evict Binay.

Corpus, accompanied by senior police officers, met with Binay to serve the order, but Corpus later agreed to defer serving the order to Monday.

Denied due process

The deferment of his suspension did not appease Binay.

“The Filipino people, not just in Makati, all know that (Malacañang’s) sole objective is to achieve its political ends without regard to public interest,” Binay said in the statement.

Binay could not be reached for an interview Sunday.

His political adviser, Lito Anzures, said the mayor was conferring with his lawyers about his legal options in a closed-door meeting.

Although he agreed to receive the suspension order, Binay said he would ask the Court of Appeals on Monday to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) against its implementation.

Binay said he was denied due process by the Office of the Ombudsman when it failed to provide him a copy of the complaint filed by a congressional candidate who, he noted, was running under Ms Arroyo’s party.

Lakas candidate Oscar Ibay filed the complaint in December 2006 but Binay said that up to now, he had not received a copy of the charges.

Neither has he been asked by the Ombudsman to comment on the allegations, he said.

Binay alleged that his political opponents had known about his imminent suspension as early as last week.

“It’s the same as the garnishment order from the BIR.”

Binay maintained that the suspension was part of a Malacañang plan to harass him for being a vocal critic of the administration, citing a series of events that began with the killing of his security chief, Pablo Glean, last year.

“The pattern of harassment is clear. After the still unsolved killing of my security chief, Malacañang tried to suspend me in October last year, but this was stopped by the people of Makati,” he said.

Officials tried to serve a suspension order against Binay last year based on a complaint by his political rival Roberto Brillante that he and the city council were keeping ghost employees.

Face-saving move

But the mayor, after barricading himself with his supporters at City Hall for three days, obtained a TRO and later an injunction barring interior officials from carrying out the suspension order.

Binay said that the lifting of the garnishment order on Makati’s assets was another “face-saving move.”

He questioned the order, saying the city had already paid P200 million to the BIR in a compromise settlement, and argued that the freeze order would cripple the city government.

In a statement, Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag said he had ordered the agency’s regional office to limit its freeze order on Makati’s bank accounts to only the amount that covered the tax claim.

Unusual

The move is unusual for the BIR, which normally freezes all bank accounts of a delinquent taxpayer, regardless of amount, until the dispute has been settled and the levy paid.

“To enable the uninterrupted delivery of basic services to the people of Makati and the payment of salaries of city employees, I have been instructed by the President to take the necessary steps to limit the writ of garnishment issued by the Bureau against the City of Makati to the amount of unpaid taxes and increments being claimed by the BIR,” he said.

The case stemmed from the city government’s alleged failure to remit a total of P1.15 billion in withholding taxes of about 8,000 employees from 1999 to 2002.

With Buñag’s order, the BIR’s Makati unit immediately instructed the presidents, treasurers and cashiers of the banks that held Makati’s funds to lift and cancel the warrant of garnishment issued on May 2.

List of banks

These banks are Equitable PCI Bank, Philippine National Bank, Allied Banking Corp., Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Banco de Oro Universal Bank, Asiatrust Development Bank, China Banking Corp., LBC Development Bank, Planters Development Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Union Bank of the Philippines, United Coconut Planters Bank, Security Bank Corp., Asia United Bank, Bank of Commerce, BDO Private Bank, Export Industry Bank, International Exchange Bank, Philippine Bank of Communications, Philippine Trust Co., Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines and Banco Filipino.

Baquiran also ordered the lifting and the cancellation of the warrant of garnishment on Makati’s funds in Philippine Veterans Bank beyond the disputed amount of tax liabilities.

“Makati has deposits in Veterans Bank that can cover the amount due our unpaid taxes,” Buñag said.

The BIR said the city’s unpaid tax liabilities stood at P600 million to P700 million for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001. This is significantly lower than the P1.1-billion liability the tax agency earlier announced.

Palace not giving up

Malacañang said it was not giving up the legal battle to unseat Binay.

Palace legal counsel Sergio Apostol even accused Binay, the president of the United Opposition, of using his court battle against corruption charges to advance his political interest.

“He is the one doing a martial law in Makati,” Apostol said.

Team Unity campaign strategist Ben Evardone denied that Malacañang was softening its stance.

“How can you sympathize with a person like Binay who would like to defy the court? This will not affect election results, contrary to what GO [Genuine Opposition] and Binay are saying,” he said.

Yamsuan rejected suggestions that Puno backtracked after Ms Arroyo blew her top over the Binay issue. “That’s not true,” he said.

What happened was that after the report on Binay’s suspension broke in the media, Ms Arroyo called Puno to inquire “if the suspension order was true,” Yamsuan said.

He said that even Ms Arroyo was not informed about the suspension order and the subsequent implementation of the Ombudsman’s order by the DILG.

Puno acting on his own?

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Puno was acting on his own when he decided to defer the implementation of the suspension order.

“Yes, the DILG is the implementing arm of government on matters of this nature. Whatever it is, Secretary Puno as head of the local government is taking this action according to his better judgment as implementor of the executive branch on matters of this nature.”

Ermita begged off, when asked about the BIR decision to lift the writ of garnishment issued against the city government.

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In a press statement, BIR Commissioner Jose Mario Buñag said he ordered the agency’s regional office to limit its freeze order to the amount that covered the tax claim.

“To enable the uninterrupted delivery of basic services to the people of Makati and the payment of salaries of city employees, I have been instructed by the President [Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo] to take the necessary steps to limit the writ of garnishment issued by the Bureau gainst the City of Makati to the amount of unpaid taxes and increments being claimed by the BIR,” he said.

The BIR case stemmed from the city government’s alleged failure to remit a total of P1,150,331,321.81 in withholding taxes of about 8,000 employees from 1999 to 2002.

With Buñag’s order, the BIR’s Makati unit immediately instructed the presidents, treasurers and cashiers of the banks that held Makati City’s funds to lift and cancel the warrant of garnishment issued on May 2, 2007.

These banks are Equitable PCI Bank, the Philippine National Bank, Allied Banking Corp., the Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Banco de Oro Universal Bank, Asiatrust Development Bank, China Banking Corp., LBC Development Bank, Planters Development Bank, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., Union Bank of the Philippines, the United Coconut Planters Bank, Security Bank Corp., Asia United Bank, Bank of Commerce, BDO Private Bank, Export Industry Bank, International Exchange Bank, the Philippine Bank of Communications, the Philippine Trust Co., Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines and Banco Filipino.

Baquiran also ordered the lifting and the cancellation of the warrant of garnishment on Makati City’s funds in the Philippine Veterans Bank not covered by the disputed amount of tax liabilities.

“Makati has deposits in Veterans Bank that can cover the amount due for unpaid taxes,” Buñag said.

The move is an unusual one for the tax agency, which normally freezes all bank accounts of a delinquent taxpayer, regardless of amount, until the dispute has been settled and the levy paid.

BIR said that Makati City’s unpaid tax liabilities stood at “around P600 to P700 million” for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001. This is significantly lower than the P1.1 billion liability the tax agency arlier announced.

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About 2,000 supporters of Binay, who is heavily tipped to retain his mayoral post in the May 14 polls, quickly gathered outside the new Makati City Hall shortly before 10 p.m. in an outpouring of support for the opposition leader.

It was not immediately clear why the order was being served late at night before the weekend, where the courts — where Binay could challenge the order — are closed.

The Department of Interior and Local Government said in a statement it placed Binay under preventive suspension over charges of defrauding the city government by putting “ghost employees” on its payroll.

Binay will be suspended “without pay for a period not exceeding six months pending the investigation” of the administrative complaint filed against him, the statement added.

Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus, accompanied by senior police officers, met with Binay and Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado in Binay’s office on the 21st floor of the City Hall to serve the order.

But the actual serving of the order was deferred to Monday.

During their meeting, Binay questioned the timing of the order, saying a preventive suspension order could not be served after office hours.

Corpus said he had wanted to serve the order earlier because a hearing of the case had been scheduled for Tuesday and he thought that serving it on Monday would be a bit late.

Binay told Corpus that he would be at the City Hall on Monday at 8 a.m. during the flag raising ceremony to receive the suspension order.

Corpus agreed to defer the serving of the order until then.

Binay said the status quo would be maintained for now. He added, however, that once the suspension order is served on him on Monday, Mercado would assume the mayoral post while he would file a petition with the Court of Appeals for a temporary restraining order.

“The suspension order is null and void,” he said.

This was the second time in six months that the Arroyo administration, on whose side Binay had been a political thorn, had tried to oust the leader of the United Opposition (UNO).

Some supporters waved clenched fists, others chanted: “We don’t want an actor,” an apparent reference to movie actor, Senator Lito Lapid, whom Malacañang is backing in the mayoral contest.

Asked if he believed the suspension order was a form of political harassment, Binay’s son Erwin said: “They want Lapid to be the mayor.”

Earlier, special police units tried to seal off secondary roads to prevent the entry of Binay supporters.

“This is harassment,” the mayor’s daughter Abigail said in a radio interview. “They are moving [against him] in succession. There was the petition for disqualification … Then there was the garnishment of the assets of the city. Then the personal assets of Binay were frozen.”

“Now here comes the suspension order. His political rivals are getting desperate. By hook or by crook, they want to win. As a result, the people of Makati are getting more united against them,” said Abigail, who herself is running for a seat in Congress.

A senior official at the Department of Interior and Local Governments told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that the DILG was merely implementing an order from the Ombudsman for the suspension of Binay.

“This is not an arrest but an implementation of the suspension order,” said the official, who asked not to be identified because he said he was not authorized to speak to the media.

At one point, policemen looking for Binay, forced their way into the City Hall, damaging some property.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno informed the Palace on Friday that he had received a copy of the Ombudsman’s suspension order.

“They have been looking for Mayor Binay but could not locate him. They just found him an hour ago,” Ermita said at about 9 p.m.

Ermita disclaimed Palace involvement in the move to oust Binay.

“We cannot meddle with the Ombudsman,” he said. “They (Binay’s group) have a recourse [in the courts]. Either Monday or Tuesday, they can get a TRO (temporary restraining order,” Ermita said.

“The DILG is just executing a lawful order from the Ombudsman,” said Ermita.

Sources in the Ombudsman, reached last night, said the order stemmed from a complaint by former councilor Oscar Ibay that City Hall under Binay employed ghost employees possibly numbering allegedly by the thousands.

Also contacted last night, Ibay said that of the five complaints he had initiated against Binay, one complaint did involve ghost employees.

He claimed that his office discovered up to 8,000 City Hall employees without tax identification numbers (TIN) and “this is where they probably hid the ghost employees.”

In October last year, Binay barricaded himself in his 22-floor office at the City Hall after the DILG also tried to suspend him over the issue of ghost employees.

The latest suspension order was reportedly signed by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and endorsed by Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro.

At one point last night, Binay’s opposition colleagues began streaming into City Hall to provide moral support for the embattled mayor.

They included opposition senatorial candidates Sonia Roco, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Makati Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr.

Pimentel said that as a general rule there should be no preventive suspension of candidates during an election period.

Roco, for her part, said: “It’s very, very unjust and sets a state of terrorism. It sends a chilling effect on democracy.”

She said the suspension order was an attack not just on the Mayor but on the opposition.

A handful of members of the militant group Bayan Muna and Akbayan also came and waved flags on the steps of the City Hall in a show of support for Binay. With reports from Thea Alberto, INQUIRER.net; Volt Contreras and Juliet Labog

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Binay emerged as the victor in the mayoral race by an overwhelming margin, capturing 198,814 of the votes cast from the city’s two districts against administration Senator Manuel “Lito” Lapid’s 22,462.

His other little-known opponent, Elias Dulalia, had 1,243 votes, based on the final count of all 1,834 precincts canvassed at the Makati Coliseum by the local Commission on Elections office.

“The message of Makati is clear: In a democracy, it is the people who will judge their leaders,” Binay said. “Malacañang clearly misread the pulse of the people of Makati.”

Lapid’s candidacy was widely believed as an administration strategy to rid Makati of Binay, a bitter political foe of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“More importantly, we showed the entire Philippines that we are prepared to defend our city’s freedom,” he said, referring to the national government’s efforts to evict him prior to the elections.

On May 4, Binay was served a suspension order in connection with a complaint filed in the Office of the Ombudsman by a political rival who had accused him of keeping ghost employees.

Two days earlier, the Bureau of Internal Revenue froze the city’s bank accounts in what it said was an effort to recover P1.1 billion in unpaid withholding taxes.

But the Arroyo administration backtracked after the twin moves elicited criticism. It deferred the implementation of the suspension order until after the polls and lifted the freeze order on all but one of the banks holding the city’s funds.

In the vice mayoralty contest, Binay’s running mate Ernesto Mercado got 151,431 votes and was proclaimed vice mayor. His opponent, Nemesio Yabut Jr., got 48,456 votes.

All the candidates for councilmen in Binay’s ticket, including his reelectionist son District 1 Councilor Jejomar Erwin, were also proclaimed winners.

Mayor Binay’s daughter, Marlen Abigail, was proclaimed winner in the second congressional district after garnering a total of 70,904 votes. Her opponent Erwin Genuino, son of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. president and CEO Ephraim Genuino, got 41,191.

Anthony, Genuino’s son, also ran for district 1 councilor but did not make it to the top eight.

Reelectionist Representative Teodoro Locsin Jr. was declared winner in the first congressional district after he garnered 85,958 votes. Former councilor Oscar Ibay got 17,489 votes.

Shiela Rojas, election officer of Makati’s second district and chair of the local board of canvassers, proclaimed the winners at about 6 a.m., after a whole night devoted to canvassing, tabulating and adding up the votes.

Hours before, Lakas-Kampi Makati campaign manager Bong Ferrer said they would try to stop the proclamation on the basis of an electoral protest they had filed with the Comelec shortly after Monday’s polls.

“We have evidence that there was massive vote buying and cheating committed by the other camp, and we are prepared to present these in the proper forum,” he said.

A crowd of about 150 supporters of the Genuinos crowded the gates of the coliseum and started a program accusing Binay’s camp of robbing their candidates of victory.

But by midnight, the crowd had thinned to a few handfuls, and were all gone at dawn.

When the winning candidates were proclaimed at a little before 6 a.m., Ferrer and the lawyers for his party were also nowhere to be found.

Binay, surrounded by bodyguards and aides, entered the coliseum just moments after the canvassing in district 2 closed, eliciting scattered cheers from supporters, mostly poll watchers.

The members of his ticket, including his wife, former Mayor Elenita Binay, Abigail, Jun-Jun, and other family relatives, started streaming into the coliseum.

But they had to wait another hour for the proclamation, as the totaling of the votes for district 1 took longer than expected.

What slowed down the tabulation, Rojas said, was the commotion over the incidents of alleged vote padding, in which figures were allegedly added to the total of Anthony Genuino’s votes in three summaries of votes.

Reden Villanueva, a poll watcher for newly elected Councilor Luis Javier, was the first to notice the alleged discrepancy, in which what was supposed to be “867″ votes was changed into “1,867.”

Two other poll watchers reported similar alleged vote-padding incidents, in which “990,” was converted to “1,990,” and “1,000″ became “1,800.”

Ferrer, however, said the incidents could either be an “honest mistake,” or a “set-up,” to make it appear their camp was cheating.

To the objections of some lawyers present, Rojas did not order the complete rechecking of all summaries of votes for discrepancies, and instead, just asked the tabulators to recompute the figures.

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