Makati City Hall workers staged a “Black Protest” Monday condemning the ongoing Senate investigation on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall 2 parking building. Photo from Makati City Government official Facebook page
MANILA, Philippines–Makati City residents and government workers held what they called a “black protest” on Monday to express their outrage at “the brazen demolition campaign” being conducted against Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son, Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., by their political opponents.
Clad in black shirts with orange ribbons tied around their arms, around 3,000 residents and Makati City Hall and court employees started their work week by expressing their support for the Binays.
The mass action, according to city hall administrative officer Oliver Arisna, was in condemnation of the ongoing Senate investigation into allegations that the Makati City Hall Building II was overpriced and that the Vice President, then the city’s mayor, earned kickbacks from its construction as well as from other projects.
The Binay supporters accused Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Alan Peter Cayetano of staging a “kangaroo court” to malign the Vice President and his son.
According to Arisna who presided over a program at the city hall quadrangle, the probe was meant “to promote the selfish interest of some politicians angling for a higher post in 2016.”
“We ask all those planning to run against VP Binay in the coming 2016 elections to fight fairly and not use strategies like this to destroy his good name,” he said.
He told the Inquirer that they would continue wearing black until the Senate stops its investigation.
During the program, Johnny Arcanas, a member of the Makati Vendors Federation, said that people should stop questioning the credibility of the Binays as they have done a lot for their constituents in terms of medical, educational and livelihood services.
The attendees later affixed their signatures on a large tarpaulin bearing a message criticizing the Senate investigation as they chanted, “Binay pa rin [We’re still for Binay]!”
Monday’s protest was the second one staged by city hall employees since the probe on the parking building started. On Sept. 1, about 800 Makati residents and employees gathered in front of the controversial P2.3-billion structure to express their “indignation and disgust” as Senators Aquilino Pimentel III and Antonio Trillanes IV conducted an ocular inspection.–With a report from Aries Joseph Hegina, INQUIRER.net
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