Why he's leaving: Binay wants to prevent further violence in Makati

"Kahit labag sa aking puso, ako po ay pansamantalang lilisan sa ating City Hall."

A big announcement from Mayor Junjun Binay on the 3rd day of the Makati standoff.

Binay said he's temporarily leaving City Hall as he awaits the Court of Appeals' decision on his petition to stop the Ombudsman's second suspension order against him.

"Kahit na ganito ang dinadanas natin, kahit tayo ay minamaltrato, kahit na binabaluktot ang mga batas, tayo po ay laging magtitiwala sa batas. Wala pa tayong TRO, hindi rin dini-deny ang ating petisyon, pero kailangan natin igalang ang hukuman."

Binay also said he wants to prevent further violence in Makati.

Early morning Tuesday, the mayor's father, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, confronted police officers who prevented people from entering the premises.

The situation took a turn for the worse later in the morning.

Speaking to DZMM, the vice-president blamed police for the violence.

"Sana naman nailabas yung mga panunulak ng mga pulis. Ang napalabas lang sa inyo ay yung reaction dahil sa pinakatulak-tulak ng mga pulis eh kaya napunta sa nagkaharapan po yung mga tao at mga pulis. Alam ba ninyo na pati hipag ko eh tinulak?," VP Binay said.

The Court of Appeals has given the Ombudsman and DILG 10 days to answer Mayor Binay's petition for a TRO. The Binay camp will have five days to reply. Only then will the court act on the petition.

This is in contrast to the CA's action during Binay's first suspension back in March when it granted a TRO even without comments from the Ombudsman and the DILG.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mar to Junjun Binay: You don't own Makati

You're not special,' Mar tells Junjun


MANILA – Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Tuesday told suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay to abide by the Office of the Ombudsman's preventive suspension order, saying he does not own Makati.

Roxas said the Makati mayor seems to think that he is special in the eyes of the law.

''Anong pinagkaiba ni Mayor Binay sa ibang opisyal na sinususpinde ng Ombudsman?" he said.

''Si Mayor Binay espesyal lang siya sa tatay niya, hind siya espesyal sa batas," he added, referring to Vice-President Jejomar Binay who defeated Roxas in the 2010 election.

Roxas reminded the mayor that the approval of a suspension order – be it preventive or punitive - is one of the jobs of the Ombudsman.

''Nagkakaroon lang ng drama dahil siguro ayaw bumitiw sa kinalalagyan si Binay,'' Roxas said.

The interior secretary also urged Binay to stop using his supporters in his bid to stay in power.

''Hindi po niyo pagmamay-ari ang Makati, Mayor Binay. Walang naghahari-hari dito kundi ang batas. Batas ang ating ipinapatupad at iyan lang din naman po ang ginagawa ng DILG at PNP,'' he said.

Roxas said Vice-Mayor Romulo Peña is now the acting mayor of the city, following the latter's oath taking before Assistant City Prosecutor Julius Ceasar Gaurano.

SECOND SUSPENSION

After a brief scuffle between Binay's supporters, policeman and DILG representatives, the suspension order was posted at the Makati City Hall on Tuesday morning.

This is the second suspension against Binay, who was earlier ordered suspended to give way for an investigation into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II.

Mayor Binay managed to stay in power after the Court of Appeals issued a halt order against the first suspension order.

The suspension case is now with the Supreme Court, after the Office of the Ombudsman questioned the appellate court's action of issuing a halt order on the suspension order.

The new suspension order for Binay is in connection with his supposed role in the alleged rigging of bidding for the Makati Science High School building project.

The camp of Mayor Binay has filed a petition against the second suspension order. It was raffled off to the CA's 10th Division.
Mayor Binay and 14 other Makati officials were ordered suspended by the Ombudsman.

Aside from Mayor Binay, the 14 Makati officials ordered suspended are Pio Kenneth Ilando Dasal, Lorenza Punzalan Amores, Norman Domingo Flores, Leonila De Guzman Querijero, Cecilio P. Lim III, Nelia Argana Barlis, Giovanni Ilio Condes, Ralph Encela Liberato, Ulysses Estanislao Orienza, Manolito N. Uyaco, Gerardo Kangleon San Gabriel, Raydes Barias Pestaño, Eleno Monasterial Mendoza Jr., and Mario Valenzuela Badillo.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Roderick Paulate, another QC councilor accused of maintaining 'ghost employees'

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman, through the Field Investigation Office, has filed criminal and administrative complaints against Quezon City councilors Roderick M. Paulate and Francisco A. Calalay, Jr. for maintaining "ghost employees" in the payroll of the Quezon City Council.

Acting on the complaint filed by Jimmy Lee Davis, the Ombudsman's FIO managed to obtain evidence showing Paulate and Calalay maintained "job order personnel" under their respective offices which turned out to be fictitious persons.

Davis, who is a whistleblower and a Quezon City resident, was assisted by his counsel former Sen. Aquilino "Nene" Pimentel, Jr. in filing the complaint.

The fictitious personnel allegedly received monthly wages ranging from P2,500 to P5,000.

Investigation showed that these fictitious personnel do not have birth records from the National Statistics Office, are not registered voters of Quezon City, have not secured National Bureau of Investigation clearances, and are not known in the respective barangays where they allegedly reside or the indicated Barangay-addresses where they purportedly reside do not exist.

For the period January to November 2010, Calalay maintained a total 29 ghost employees while Paulate maintained 30 ghost employees for the period July 2010 to November 2010.

A total of P2,175,000 in wages were disbursed by Calalay while Paulate disbursed a total of P1,125,000.

The disbursements of wages were made possible through the submission of spurious Personal Data Sheets and payrolls.

Charges of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents, violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the "Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act", and administrative charges for grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and falsification of official documents have been filed against Calalay and Paulate, together with their respective liaison officers in the persons of Flordeliza A. Alvarez and Vicente E. Bajamunde.

source: interaksyon.com