Former Makati City mayor Romulo Peña announced on Saturday he is running for congressman in the city’s first district.
Peña made the announcement following reports that a Binay-versus-Binay scenario will possibly play out in the May 2019 elections, with the incumbent Mayor Abigail Binay possibly being challenged by her own brother, Jejomar Erwin “Jun-Jun” Binay Jr., who also served as mayor during the time of President Benigno Aquino III.
Despite the clamor for him to join the mayoralty polls next year, Peña said he decided not to participate in order “to heal the wounds suffered by the constituents during the height of his holdover capacity for 11 months.”
In a statement, Peña noted when he acted as mayor from July 2015 to June 2016, but he did not have the full support of members of the City Council that led to setting aside his priority programs, which he said, should have granted greater benefits to the people.
Political differences must not hinder the implementation of welfare programs for the people, he said.
“I would not want to see another emotional battle between relatives and family members, city hall workers versus peers, neighbor against their neighbor, and broken decade-long friendships come election time,” Peña said.
He added that “people tend to risk life, conscience and reputation just to grab a hold of the power.”
In a forum recently held in Manila, Mayor Abigail Binay said she’s enjoying the support of her father former Vice President Jejomar Binay Sr. to seek reelection in the 2019 polls.
When asked about the possible sibling rivalry, the incumbent mayor said “I can’t say. May mga paramdam pero hanggat hindi nagfa-file hindi natin malalaman. I’m running with the full support of my dad.”
If locals of Makati would allow it, Abigail said she would have wanted to serve until her third term.
Peña said he feels sad on the imminent battle between the two siblings.
In fact, he said, he “politely turned down the request of his staunch supporters to make a second try in the city’s top post.”
The incumbent Makati First District Representative is former actor Monsour del Rosario, who shifted political party from United Nationalists Alliance (of former VP Binay) to the ruling Partido Demokratiko ng Pilipinas – Lakas ng Bayan or PDP-Laban. He is reportedly planning to run either for city mayor or senator in 2019 mid-term polls.
Peña’s name is reportedly among the top choices in mayoralty surveys in Makati for being visible in helping his constituents despite the unfortunate result in the May 2016 local elections when he was defeated by Abigail Binay.
Peña’s presence is being sought in every wake and burials, baptismal, weddings, birthday celebrations, and even in simple conversations with residents.
He is also active in donating wheelchairs to indigent residents in the city, while 600 crutches were given to individuals who find difficulty in walking.
Peña also continually extends cash assistance to residents who want start small business, such as a sari-sari stores and vendors. He provides escorts to control traffic during burials, makes home visits to the sick, and conduction of patients who do not want
hospitalization at Ospital ng Makati to another hospital, and holds feeding program three times a month.
Peña took over the leadership in Makati in July 2015 after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered then mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay to vacate the post in connection with the alleged irregularities in the construction of Makati Science High School.
Peña said during his 11-month administration, fiscal discipline was strictly observed by his “Bagong Makati leadership.”
Citing a report from the budget office, he said, the city government expended only P684,844,960 of the total P4,829,937,570 budget allocated for the period of January to June 2016.
The figure represents merely 14.17% expenditures of the total appropriations for the first half of the year. The bulk of the unexpended budget is passed on to the incoming administration, which
means that P4,145,092,610 or 85.83% of the allotment remained in the city’s coffers.
He also highlighted the remarkable increase in the revenue collection of the city from business and realty taxes, which he said was a clear indication of the confidence of the business sector during his time.
In 2016 elections, Abigail Binay received 153,487 votes over the 137, 803 votes of Peña.
Abigail is the fourth in the Binay family who was elected mayor in Makati. First was her father, followed by her mother Elenita, and the last was her brother Jejomar Erwin.
Her sister Nancy Binay is an incumbent senator.
Junjun was supposed to run for re-election in the city in 2016 but his dismissal order from the Ombudsman over allegations of irregularities in the city prompted the Binay family and the United Nationalist Alliance, the political party of the former vice president, to field Abigail.
Makati, a city with more than 370,000 registered voters, has been a stronghold of the Binays since the former vice president was appointed by then President Corazon Aquino as its officer-in-charge in 1986.