Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. talks to the media on Friday inside the Makati City Hall Building. Binay said he will stay in the building despite a suspension order from the Ombudsman for his alleged involvement in the overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building II. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – After going after Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and several police officials, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay has set his sights on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
In an amended petition filed on Thursday, Binay has asked the Court of Appeals to also cite Carpio-Morales and De Lima in contempt for defying a restraining order against his suspension.
“We already filed an Amended and Supplemental Petition for Contempt to include the Ombudsman and Secretary De Lima,” said Binay lawyer Patricia Alvarez.
Last Tuesday, Binay had already filed a contempt plea against Roxas, Makati Vice Mayor Romulo Peña, Department of Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region Director Renato Brion, NCR Police Office regional director Carmelo Valmoria, Southern Police District director Henry Ranola, and ground commander Police Sr. Supt. Elmer Jamias for defying the CA temporary restraining order.
The CA’s TRO was issued last Monday in response to a petition filed by Binay last week to contest his six-month suspension over overpricing claims on the construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2.
Before the TRO however, the Department of Interior and Local Government had already served the suspension and had sworn in Binay’s vice mayor, Romulo Oeñas, as acting mayor.
The Ombudsman eventually filed on Tuesday a manifestation telling the CA that its TRO was already “moot and academic” for being issue too late. It added that the CA seemed “silent on what the TRO seeks to restrain.”
De Lima meanwhile issued a legal opinion echoing the Ombudsman’s position that the TRO no longer had legal effect because the acts sought to be restrained had already been performed. (MNS)