Makati Mayor Abby Binay says she is not ready to reconcile with his brother Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay after running against each other in the May 2019 midterm elections. “I need to heal first,” she says. NESTOR CORRALES/INQURER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Makati Mayor Abby Binay is not yet ready to reconcile with her brother and political rival Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. after the elections.
Binay said only time would tell.
“What I always say, I need to heal first before I can be able to reach out,” she told reporters at the San Jose Elementary School in Makati City.
“So mahaba pa, mahaba pang panahon ang kailangan at hindi ko alam kung kailan mangyayari ‘yon,” she added.
The reelectionist local chief executive said she has been through a lot during the campaign period.
“Hindi kasi alam ng tao ‘yong lala, bigat ng pinagdaanan ko in the past eight months so I think it’s rather unfair for people to keep on asking, ‘Will you reach out?’,” she said.
“I have to heal first. I have to find peace in my heart for my family,” she added.
Binay admitted that it hurt her so much when she was blamed for the death of Junjun’s long-time aide, Monaliza “Monette” Bernardo.
“That I have something to do with the death of his secretary. I found that very very…it’s as if you are saying that you don’t know me,” she said.
“It’s as if you are saying I would go to that extent. I am not that desperate and I think I am the last person who would gain from that person’s death,” she added.
Is she ready for reconciliation?
“So madali para sa kanila ang magsabi, open sila for reconciliation. Ang tanong is ako ba ay ready for reconcilaition?” she said.
“‘Yon ‘yung mahirap na tanong na kaya ko lang siyang sagutin kung ako’y nakapag… let me rebuild myself first,” she added.
Asked about his message to Junjun, she said: “Goodluck. Sana tanggapin niya ‘yong resulta. Sana maging lapat sa kalooban niya ‘yong maging resulta ng eleksyon na ‘to.”
The Binay siblings – Abby and Junjun – are running against each other for the city’s top post. /cbb/kga