Senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay said the takeover of health centers by Taguig city and the disqualification complaint filed with the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
are interrelated, as she questioned the timing of these moves just one week before the elections.
Speaking before the media on Wednesday, Binay said these were obviously “planned and coordinated” by someone who does not want to see her in the Senate.
“Remember, these past few days it seems like they want to put me in the spotlight. Maybe there’s someone who doesn’t want me in the Senate,” she said.
“They filed a new case last Monday, today is Wednesday. They filed the case on Monday, they broke into the health center on Tuesday, they opened a health center today (Wednesday), but the TRO (temporary restraining order) is until Friday only,” Binay said of Taguig City’s latest actions.
Binay said the timing raised questions as to the motive of Taguig, considering that the health centers in the EMBO (enlisted men’s barrios) have been closed for one year and five months now.
“Why did you wait a week before the elections to file a case and get a TRO and get possession of the health centers? If you are truly concerned for your constituents, you should have filed the case as early as January 2024 and insisted to take possession of the property,” she said.
Binay also reiterated that the Supreme Court decision only pertained to territorial jurisdiction, not ownership of lands.
“Let’s go back. The Supreme Court decision is not about ownership. It is about territorial jurisdiction. The Court did not say that all properties owned by Makati will go to Taguig,” Binay said.
She pointed out that Taguig’s refusal to obtain a Writ of Execution was the root cause of the continuing dispute.
“The reason why this case has been dragging on is because Taguig refuses to get a Writ of Execution. Isn’t that what we have been fighting about since the beginning? If there is a Writ of Execution, we would know how to implement the Supreme Court decision, but until now there is no writ. That’s why it’s chaotic,” she explained.
Binay said Makati is set to file a number of cases, saying that the properties Taguig has taken over are worth around P1.8 billion, but the court has required them to post a bond of only P20 million in favor of Makati.
Meanwhile, Binay said that the vote-buying complaint filed before the Comelec misrepresented what she said during a campaign rally, indicating malice on the part of the complainant.
The complaint stemmed from a quip made by Binay during a rally in Taguig last April 10.
“The complaint misrepresented a portion of my speech during the rally. I was referring to Rep. Pammy Zamora’s statement that she will provide more funding for the Ospital ng Makati,” Binay said in a statement.
She said that it was not vote-buying but a commentary on a campaign promise made by an ally.
“There is nothing unlawful in this statement, since it was merely referring to a candidate’s promise to provide funding for services which is typical during a campaign season,” Binay said.
Binay said she has not received a formal copy or a show cause order from Comelec to date.