Makati City Mayor Abby Binay (middle) meets with local officials of Pampanga (File photo courtesy of My Makati Facebook page)
MANILA, Philippines — Makati Mayor Abby Binay on Thursday said she had no issue working with reelectionist Sen. Pia Cayetano after they were both named part of the administration’s endorsed senatorial slate.
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“That won’t be an issue. As for me, we can work together and still have our differences,” Binay said in a chance interview with Palace reporters during the announcement of the admin’s senatorial slate in Pasay City.
“I have no issue with Senator Pia. I hope she feels the same. Again, the issue in Taguig is different and what we are running on a national level is different. That is different,” she said.
Binay admitted, however, that she and Cayetano were no longer friends, even revealing that she was once closer with Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.
“There is no relationship. We were friends before. Now, no more,” Binay said. “To be more specific… I’m not really close to Senator Pia. I was more close before with Mayor Lani. But you know, that’s it.”
According to Binay, she joined the “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” solely to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s projects.
“I agreed to join the alliance because of the president. Who am I to say who I want to be with and who I don’t want to be with? I am here to support the projects and the projects of the president,” Binay said.
“Whoever I am with, I did not choose them,” she noted.
The rift between Binay and Cayetano revolves around the 30-year territorial dispute between the cities of Makati and Taguig involving several barangays, collectively known as Embo barangays.
The Supreme Court then previously put an end to the dispute, declaring the Embo barangays and Fort Bonifacio, as well as the Philippine Army headquarters, Navy installation, Marines’ headquarters, Consular area, JUSMAG area, Heritage Park, Libingan ng mga Bayani, AFP Officers Village, and six other adjacent villages under the jurisdiction of Taguig.
This is based on historical, documentary, and testimonial evidence.