Former Vice President Jejomar Binay has said he would let his children battle each other for Makati City mayor as he refused to have a hand in deciding who among them would run.
“I respect their decision to run as mayor of Makati. Abby as a candidate of UNA and Junjun as a candidate of UAM, a local party. It is not for me to decide who is more deserving to be mayor. The people of Makati will decide that,” Binay said in a statement.
According to the Binay patriarch, he would not impose his own decision on his children.
“They are both old enough, and as a parent all I can do is advise them. I am not the type of parent who dictates on the lives of his children, especially since they have their own minds,” he said. Binay, also a former Makati mayor, revealed that Abby and Junjun have agreed to maintain “civility and sobriety” during the campaign period by focusing on their respective platforms and plans for the city and its people.
Junjun expressed his gratitude to his father for not taking sides in the mayoral race between him and his sister, even if Abby previously claimed that she had the elder Binay’s full support.
“The decision of my father to endorse neither myself nor my sister in the 2019 polls shows his respect for the people of Makati, and is consistent with the character of a public servant who has dedicated his life to Makati and has worked tirelessly for the welfare of its residents,” he said.
Junjun added that he would file his certificate of candidacy (CoC) soon.
He said he would respect his family’s wishes that he and his sister would conduct positive and dignified campaigns.
“We have both served as mayors of Makati, and its residents have seen our different leadership styles. I believe they have a basis for comparison and can decide who among the two of us can better serve the city and its people,” he added in a statement.
Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay first ran for mayor in 2010 and was re-elected in 2013, winning over 83% of Makati voters in a 208,748 to 25,791 landslide victory over Rene Bondal.
He was removed from his post in 2015 over alleged anomalies in the P1.3bn Makati Science High School building and P2.2bn Makati City Hall Building 2 project.
Last week, the Commission on Elections clarified that Junjun could run for public office since the courts have not issued a decision that is “final and executory.”
Mar-len Abiggail “Abby” Binay who is serving her first term, insisted that she was “her father’s candidate.”
She noted that before her term, “dirty politics and shameless political patronage” was rampant, depriving the people of Makati basic social services.
“Together with my trusted team of professionals, I got down to the task of rebuilding our city by taking drastic but necessary measures to promptly restore efficiency, competence, professionalism and compassion in governance,” Abby said, pointing out that her father was on her side.
She turned emotional when she appealed to Junjun to give her a “chance” during a televised interview, saying Junjun had his turn and it was her time.
“Please be man enough to say, ‘I will give my big sister a chance’,” Abby said during an interview with ANC’s “Headstart.”
Whatever the outcome, the elder Binay said the family would not be divided by politics and that he was confident that elections in the city would be free of anomalies.
Binay, who announced that he would run for 1st District representative of Makati, would file his CoC soon at the Commission on Elections office in Intramuros, Manila.
Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman, previously said the former vice president is likely going to clash with former vice mayor “Kid” Pena for a seat in the House of Representatives.
Jejomar Binay: declining to take sides
