MANILA – After the Office of the Ombudsman issued its second preventive suspension order on Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, supporters of the latter rallied violently.
Reports stated that Binay’s supporters pushed Philippine National Police’s (PNP) barricades. The protesters also threw bottled waters and monobloc chairs at the police authorities as the latter tried to enforce the suspension order.
Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay then arrived in the scene and confronted Senior Supt. Elmer Jamias, ordering him to remove the barricades and accusing him of harassing his son and some city officials.
“We would like to remind them that the Constitution here in the Philippines should still rule. It seems like they are imposing a martial law-like situation in the city,” Vice President Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado said, pointing out that the people had the right to express support for Mayor Binay.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, however, disagreed with Binay’s camp and reminded the Vice President that public servants were not exempted from the law.
“This is about the right of the Filipino people to hold their public servants to the highest bar of accountability and to bring them before the bar of justice if they are accused of betraying the public trust,” the Ombudsman said.
Ombudsman Carpio-Morales also asserted that she will ‘never succumb to any perceived pressure or be blinded or deafened by political grandstanding.’ She also will ‘not tolerate open defiance of constitutional processes or calls for mob rule.’
Mayor Binay was issued a six-month preventive suspension anew in connection with the ongoing investigation on the corruption allegations against him and his family.
Despite Mayor Binay’s continued refusal to acknowledge the suspension order, the 12-page document remained posted at the entrance of the Makati City Hall.
Hours after the scuffle between the supporters and the policemen began, Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña took his oath as the acting Makati City mayor. Peña then reiterated his call on Mayor Binay to listen to the ‘will of the people’ and to ‘follow the law.’
Reports stated that at least five civilians and three policemen were injured from the commotion last Tuesday.
Read: Binay’s supporters protest violently against suspension order