ON A COLLISION COURSE In separate interviews at the Inquirer office, reelectionist Makati City Mayor Abby Binay and her brother Junjun Binay, who intends to challenge her in the 2019 polls, explain why they are not backing down from the fight. Abby shows a document stating she’s the official candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance, the party headed by their father, while Junjun asserts that there was a family agreement for his sister to serve just one term. —PHOTOS BY REM ZAMORA AND JAM STA. ROSA
The family that has ruled Makati City for decades was expected to settle a sibling rivalry that could turn into a confrontation on the campaign stage and show just how narrow voters’ choice had become in the country’s premiere financial district.
Sen. Nancy Binay said she was hopeful that the clashing ambitions of her siblings — Jejomar Jr. and Abigail — would give way to a peaceful resolution.
Jejomar Jr., or Junjun, and Abigail, or Abby, both want to run for mayor.
Jejomar Jr. had been suspended as mayor over a corruption case that prompted the family to fling Abby to the campaign stage as candidate for mayor.
Scenarios
Senator Binay said although she hoped for a resolution of the rivalry, “I’m also preparing for a scenario that they can’t be stopped from running against each other.”
Abby had said she was confident she had her father’s blessing to run for mayor.
Junjun said he would convince his father that he, not his sister, had the “numbers.”
Compromise
Senator Binay said she wanted her siblings to meet as family members and look for a compromise.
“Whatever happens in our meeting, I am assured that after May 2019, we will still be a family,” she said.
The senator had filed her certificate of candidacy for reelection last Friday, while the elder Binay was poised to run for representative of Makati’s first district.
Senator Binay declined to comment if her siblings consulted her.
She said she felt bad for her parents, who must be having a hard time mediating between Junjun and Abby.
So be it
If her siblings ended up running against each other, Senator Binay said she would stay out of the campaign to be neutral.
And if the Binay versus Binay fight ends up opening the door to a third, “dark horse” candidate, Senator Binay said the family would have to respect the people’s will.
“If that happens, we just have to respect the will of the people,” said the senator.
“We are all offering ourselves to the process of elections. If that’s the decision, we just have to accept that we are no more in Makati,” she added.