Jejomar Binay is running for congressman in the first district of Makati City.
Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado confirmed this on Monday after Makati City Mayor Abigail Binay announced during the flag-raising ceremony at city hall that her father is returning to politics.
“In this morning’s flag-raising ceremony, Mayor Abby announced that she will run for reelection. She also said former Makati mayor and Vice President Jejomar Binay will return to public service. I am confirming that former VP Binay will run as representative for the First District under the ticket of Mayor Abby,” Salgado said.
Binay will be facing former Makati mayor Romulo Peña Jr. who also announced his plan to run for the city’s first district congressional race in the May 2019 midterm elections.
Actor Monsour del Rosario is the incumbent congressman in the first district. There were reports that he is running for reelection or considering trying his luck in the senatorial race next year.
Binay is being considered as a political icon and the longest-serving mayor in Makati. He was the city chief executive from 1986 to 1998, and from 2001 to 2010 before serving the country as vice president during the time of President Benigno Aquino III.
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 the late former President Corazon Aquino as its officer-in-charge in 1986.
During the flag-raising ceremony Monday, incumbent Mayor City Mayor Abigail Binay awarded a Certificate of Honor and a Loyalty Certificate to her father.
“It is a great honor to be standing on the same platform with the person who taught and showed me genuine loyalty to public service, Makati’s beloved, my father Jojo Binay!,” she said.
The city government paid tribute to the elder Binay for his leadership that “has brought Makati to a new era of unprecedented growth which led to the implementation of innovative and groundbreaking programs for the upliftment of the lives of Makatizens during his years of service to the City. He is a public servant worth emulating and from whom government employees can take inspiration,” read the inscription on the certificate.
In her speech, Mayor Binay challenged her detractors and political opponents to focus on performance, rather than engaging in dirty politics, and vowed to counteract any accusation or criticism with a clean and principled leadership capable of outstanding performance.
The mayor cited the unprecedented “Unqualified Opinion” rendered by Commission on Audit on its financial statements for 2017, which was the highest audit rating a government agency or unit can get. She expressed confidence that the city can maintain the said rating in the next audit periods, with the support and cooperation of the city government employees.
Mayor Binay thanked the awardees for their loyal and dedicated service, and appealed to all employees to join her in the pursuit of greater achievements for the city and its people.
The elder Binay’s daughter-senator Nancy Binay, however, said she was surprised on learning that his father will run for Congress.
“I didn’t know. I was surprised with the events this morning. We never talked about it. What I know was that he’s just going to Italy to pray. He has been repeatedly saying he would not like to talk politics,” the senator said.
“If that would be his next career move niya, we have been supporting all his undertakings– when he ran for vice president when he ran for president. “As her daughter, of course, we should give him full support,” she said.
