Suspended Makati Mayor Junjun Binay said his supporters did not start the scuffle with the police at the Makati City Hall after his suspension order was served. INQUIRER PHOTO
Suspended Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay on Thursday maintained that his supporters did not start the scuffle with the police which erupted at the Makati City Hall after officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) served the suspension order against him.
Citing a video footage supposedly filmed by one of his men, Binay said a police officer who allegedly pushed two other policemen started the brief commotion, which led to throwing of water bottles and monobloc chairs.
“There’s a police officer there not wearing a helmet, tutulak niya ‘yung dalawang pulis and that will start the commotion. Tinutulak nung pulis, ‘yung police officer ginanoon ‘yung pulis kaya ngayon nahulog ‘yung mga tao. And then doon nagkagulo,” Binay said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel’s “Headstart” while showing the video to anchor Karen Davila.
READ: Violence erupts as DILG serves suspension order vs Mayor Binay
Denying accusations of “mob rule,” Binay went further by saying that his supporters, who were seen throwing chairs and bottled waters to authorities, supposedly helped officials in easing the tension.
“The full clip will show you that our people are in fact assisting them (police), and pinapahupa ‘yung tensyon,” he said.
Binay added his camp wanted to assist DILG officials in posting the suspension order at the city hall, but failed to do so supposedly due to communication problems.
“Pumunta ‘yung representative ng DILG, sabi niya magpo-post sila, sabi namin we will assist you. Early morning tinatawagan namin sila para maiwasan ‘yung gulo, eh hindi na sumasagot ‘yung mga tao,” he said.
Asked if he reprimanded his supporters from behaving violently, Binay said he could not deprive them of their constitutional right to assembly.
“We have a constitutional right to free assembly. Pwede tayong malaya na magtipon-tipon para ipakita ang ating saloobin. But the PNP brazenly abused their authority. Ba’t nagkagulo? Ba’t nagkaroon ng tensyon? Kasi hindi nila pinapayagang pumunta ‘yung mga sumusuporta sa amin,” he said.
The Philippine National Police is set to conduct an investigation on the confrontation, but Binay has raised doubts over the fairness of the probe.
“We would like to submit ourselves to an investigation. Problema lang, papaano kung PNP ang magko-conduct. I don’t think we can get a fair investigation,” Binay said.
Binay temporarily vacated his post on Wednesday while awaiting the Court of Appeal’s decision on the temporary restraining order against the suspension order issued by the Ombudsman. With a report by Mary Gillan Frances G. Ropero, INQUIRER.net trainee
READ: Junjun Binay vacates post