MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Incumbent Makati City mayor Abigail “Abby” Binay officially filed her certificate of candidacy for reelection on Wednesday, October 17.
Her candidacy marks the start of the “Binay vs Binay” battle in the city after her brother, former Makati mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay Jr formalized his bid for the post yesterday.
Mayor Abby Binay will run under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) alongside reelectionist vice mayor Monique Lagdameo, according to Inquirer.
She was also accompanied by former vice president Jejomar Binay, who will be running as congressman of the 1st district of Makati, and ex-senator Rene Saguisag, who will run as city councilor.
The rest of the city council slate include Martin Arenas, Alcine Yabut, Armand Padilla, Carmina Ortega, Joey Villena, Jhong Hilario, and Jojo Javier for District 1, and Dennis Almario, Bodik Baniqued, Ives Ebrada, Ed Marquez, Dra. Doris Arayon, Ina Sarosa, Sammy Cruz, and Bong Ariones for District 2.
Asked who among his children he would support, the Binay patriarch picked Abby, reported The Manila Times.
The former VP earlier decided not to intervene between Abby and Junjun, allowing them to slug it out in Makati during the 2019 polls.
Abby earlier asked Junjun to “give her a chance” to run again without him opposing her. She said that the looming rivalry would “divide” their family even after the elections.
Junjun was dismissed from office in 2015 after the Office of the Ombudsman found him and other city officials guilty of the administrative charges of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct over anomalies in the construction of the Makati City Hall Parking Building II.
In May 2018, the Court of Appeals overturned Junjun's dismissal. Junjun said he can run again for mayor since there is no final and executory decision from the Supreme Court yet.
Abby believes otherwise, stating “perpetual disqualification” as reason for voiding his candidacy. – Alex Evangelista/Rappler.com
