Now it’s Binay Jr. vs Roxas

Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. lashed out at Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, a day after the Cabinet official ordered the local police to observe the status quo in connection with the Fort Bonifacio boundary dispute, a move favoring the position taken by rival claimant Taguig City.

Binay said Roxas “should not play politics,” apparently referring to the bad blood spilled in the 2010 elections when the mayor’s father Jejomar Sr. defeated Roxas in the vice presidential race. They are seen renewing their rivalry in the 2016 presidential derby.

“I am informing Secretary Roxas that Makati will take possession of these areas. That is the decision of the court,” Binay said in a statement on Saturday.

He was referring to the recent Court of Appeals ruling that handed seven barangays in the Fort Bonifacio area back to Makati after a 20-year legal battle with Taguig.

“Makati is not bound by [his] flawed interpretation of the law. Firstly, he has no authority to declare a status quo. Only the courts can make such a declaration,” the mayor said.

“Secondly, he should not play politics here. As a government official, he is bound by his obligation to respect the law and the decisions of the court,” he added.

In a July 30 ruling, the CA’s Sixth Division ordered the Taguig government to immediately cede control of the disputed territory, which includes the revenue-rich Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

Taguig, however, filed a motion for reconsideration and maintained that the ruling was not yet final and executory. Mayor Lani Cayetano, a known ally of Roxas’ Liberal Party, had since maintained that the status quo should be preserved and particularly reminded BGC-based businessmen that they would still be dealing with her city government.

Standoff, harassment

At least three disturbances over control of territory have since erupted between Taguig and Makati local government personnel, including a tense standoff between their police forces.

The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, when members of Taguig’s Public Order and Safety Office (Poso) were caught on security cameras harassing members of the Makati Anti-Drug Abuse Council for putting up banners indicating BGC as a Makati address. The encounter happened on Makati’s McKinley Road.

The Makati police later arrested one Poso member in BGC for alleged illegal possession of firearms but turned the man over to Taguig police. When the latter released the Poso member, Makati threatened to sue Taguig police officials for obstruction of justice.

In media interviews on Friday, Roxas reminded the police units of the two cities not to get themselves involved in the dispute. “We only have one Philippine National Police and we will await the court’s directive as to where the borders are and who’s in charge of what,” he said, adding the status quo should be kept “for the meantime” for peace and order.

Binay responded: “If [Roxas] is concerned about peace and order, then why doesn’t he order the police to arrest the armed Poso men in civilian clothes who have been reported roaming around BGC? Isn’t this a threat to peace and order? Should the Taguig Poso again sow chaos in Makati and people are again hurt, Secretary Roxas will have blood on his hands.”