Kid Peña moves fast to secure documents

Video by RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

Big brother is watching.

Acting Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña on Thursday set up office—a wooden table and an executive chair—at the lobby of Makati City Hall.

He says he wants to be seen by all and sundry, and he also can keep an eye on what’s going on in the building after Mayor Junjun Binay on Wednesday complied with a six-month suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman while it looks into corruption charges against the Binay family.

“The acting mayor just wants to ensure that everything is available for whatever legal purpose and nothing is missing when it’s needed,” said the source, who asked not to be identified for lack of authority to speak to reporters.

The source said there had been reported attempts to bring out documents from the city’s general services department that could be related to alleged corruption cases against the Binays.

“These reports prompted the order to guard all documents inside the City Hall building,” the source said.

The source also said that documents and vouchers for payments with complete staff work but were unsigned by Binay “would be scrutinized” by Peña.

SITTING ON BINAY’S SEAL Acting Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña holds office at the entrance to the Makati City Hall on the ground floor, which is inlaid with the seal of Vice President Jejomar Binay when he was city mayor. The seal is ubiquitous in the city that the Binays have lorded over for almost 30 years. JOAN BONDOC

“The mayor just wants that everything is aboveboard to avoid complications,” the source explained.

A semblance of normality prevailed on Thursday in the premises, still secured by 100 officers from the Philippine National Police. On Tuesday, violence broke out after Binay followers brawled with policemen deployed to seal off the City Hall premises, causing minor injuries.

All departments are under tight guard and employees have been ordered not to take out any document, according to a source in Peña’s inner circle.

The source added that among the documents left unsigned by Binay were the renewals of the contracts of casual employees. No major reorganization would be implemented in the next 30 days, but officers would be named to fill temporary vacancies caused by the Ombudsman’s suspensions of more than a dozen city officials, said the source.

Peña, a member of the Liberal Party, was sworn in on Tuesday after Binay yielded to the suspension order of the Ombudsman in connection with investigations into allegations of corruption.

In March, he also served as Makati’s acting mayor when Binay was first ordered suspended by the Ombudsman. He reverted to being vice mayor in April following a temporary restraining order secured by Binay’s camp from the appellate court.

A day after Binay left, Peña made the rounds of the different departments in the new City Hall building. He shook hands with elated employees, who greeted him, “Good morning po mayor!”

Peña said he had no plans of occupying the mayor’s office on the 21st floor while Binay remained suspended.

“I set up office here on the ground floor so people can see me, working and within reach,” he said.

At the departments, he told employees: “I would like you to know that I have no intention or desire to take revenge or show emotion that may hurt anybody. My purpose is to assume this post temporarily and continue to or even surpass the services we render.”

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