They have not made categorical statements so far. But from their recent activities and body language, it would seem that Senator Richard Gordon and Makati Mayor Jejomar are preparing for 2010. For the sake of wider choice, we should welcome their entry.
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.
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.
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE) Vowing to take the fight outside the country’s financial district, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay announced his bid for the presidency on Tuesday as he marked his 66th birthday in city hall.
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.”
MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Manuel Villar, who said to be eyeing the presidency in 2010, is a billionaire, records from the Office of the Senate Secretary said.
The same records show that the remaining 22 senators are millionaires and that the ’second-richest’ lawmaker in terms of net worth is Sen. Jamby Madrigal – who is still embroiled in an inheritance battle with other relatives – with P146.5 million.
Villar, a Tondo resident who made a fortune from mass housing, has a net worth of P1,041,383,9246.
“Poorest,” but still a millionaire, is jailed Sen . Antonio Trillanes IV with P2.6 million net worth.
Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., an actor, is the third richest with net worth of P118 million.
Aside from lawmaking, Revilla is still making money from television and movies, the latest of which is his top-grossing film “Resiklo.”
Sen. Mar Roxas, who is also said to be a presidential ‘wannabe’ in the 2010 elections, is fourth with a total asset of P172.4 million.
He however has a total liability of P61.7 million, or a total net worth of P110.7 million.
Fifth is Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, with P98.9 million; Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, P89.4 million; Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, P83.2 million; Sen. Pia Cayetano, P76.4 million; Sen. Loren Legarda, P46 million; Sen. Edgardo Angara, P44.1 million; and Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, P28.2 million.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who is also expected as one of those who would run in the 2010 presidential elections, ranked 12th with net worth of P27.3 million; followed by Sen. Richard Gordon,P27 million; Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, P23 million; Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, P16.2 ,million; Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, P14 million; Sen. Francis Pangilinan, P13 million; Sen. Gregorio Honasan, P12.2 million; Sen. Lito Lapid, P12 million; Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., P11.5 million; Sen. Joker Arroyo, P11 million; and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, P7.5 million. – GMANews.TV
MANILA, Philippines — In a turnaround, the Arroyo administration Sunday deferred the suspension of Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and lifted the freeze order on all but one of the banks holding the funds of the city.
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.
Armed with a suspension order from the Ombudsman, officials of the Interior department on Friday moved to evict Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay from the City Hall, a little over a week before elections.
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.
MANILA, Philippines — Reelectionist Mayor Jejomar Binay and his entire ticket were proclaimed winners early Thursday, sweeping all elective posts in the financial capital, 20-0.
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 SUSPENSION order against Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay and other city officials was condemned “in the strongest terms” and branded as “illegal” by the opposition on Tuesday as allies of the embattled local executive rushed to his side at the Makati City Hall where he has holed out.
The DILG served the 60-day suspension order against Binay, Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and 16 councilors earlier in the day over charges they kept so-called “ghost employees.”
Binay has denied the accusation.
Former president Corazon Aquino, a close friend of Binay, went to the Makati City Hall to show her support for the mayor and urged everyone to “pray for justice.”
MALACAÑANG said Tuesday it supported the suspension of Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay but was quick to deny the administration was cracking down on staunch critics of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the political opposition.
The Department of Interior and Local Government handed down a suspension order against Binay, Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado and seven councilors in connection with charges filed by a political rival accusing them of maintaining so-called “ghost” employees.
One of the Philippines’ top opposition politicians, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay, barricaded himself in his office on Tuesday hours after the government issued an order suspending him and his entire city administration from office.
As supporters of the mayor gathered outside his headquarters, police in Metro Manila were placed on alert in anticipation of possible violence. The entire affair is being shown live on television.
“This is pure harassment,” the fiery Binay told radio stations in successive interviews as the crisis began and police ringed the city hall of the country’s wealthiest enclave. The Department of the Interior and Local Government accuses Binay and other local officials of keeping so-called “ghost employees” on the municipal payroll in order to pocket their salaries. Binay, a one-time human rights lawyer, denies the charge.
