Kid Peña admits he will run for mayor in 2016

Acting Makati City Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña on Saturday admitted his plan to run as city mayor in the 2016 elections.

“Gagampanan ko po muna ang aking pagiging acting mayor pero ako po ay nakahandang lumaban sa pinakamataas (na posisyon sa Makati),” Peña said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

(I will do my duties as acting mayor first, but I am ready to run for the highest position in Makati.)

When asked to confirm if what he meant was he was going to run for mayor, Peña answered in the affirmative.

Peña, assumed post as acting city mayor after Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay was ordered suspended by the Ombudsman over the allegedly overpriced Makati City Science High School.

READ: Kid Peña takes over Mayor Binay’s post anew | Acting Makati Mayor Kid Peña hits the ground running

Peña vowed to hunt for ghost employees in the city hall after he received reports that some bogus employees were listed in the payroll of the city.

“’Yung nakapayroll pero ‘di natin sila nakikita. ‘Di sila pumapapasok pero sa iba’t ibat pagkakataon ay nababalitaan natin na basta nalang nailalabas ‘yung kanilang mga sahod,” he said.

(There are those who are in the payroll but we don’t see them. They don’t go to work, but we have repeatedly heard that they continue to receive pay.)

READ: Missing Binay aide still on Makati gov’t payroll

He said he already asked an “actual count” or inventory of the employees at the city hall.

“Titingnan po namin at sisiskaping malaman ang katotohanan (We will look and try to find out the truth),” he said, citing that he is “duty-bound” to do these things.

He also said that the city hall is now open to government audit from the likes of the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman which would want to look into the city’s operations and transactions.

“Ang pinaka punto ko diyan ay mapangalagaan ang lungsod at maipagpatuloy ang serbisyo at bukas naman na tayo sa COA, sa Ombudsman at kung sino pang sangay ng gobyerno na gustong pumunta at saliksikin ‘yung gusto nilang malaman,” he said.

(What I want to do is to protect the city and continue its services as we are open to audit from COA, the Ombudsman and other government agencies which will want to learn more about the things they want to find out.)

Amid the house cleaning he is doing at the city hall, Peña assured Makati residents that the benefits they receive would continue.

“Lahat po ng benepisyo po diyan ay sisikapin natin maiangat pa sa mas mataas na antas (All the benefits they are enjoying, we will try to improve further),” he said.

He said senior citizens would continue to receive birthday cakes but with receipts.

“Kami po ay pupunta sa (We will get our cakes from) Red Ribbon at Goldilocks,” he said.

READ: Acting Makati Mayor Peña: Seniors will still get birthday cakes

He explained that he chose to hold office at the lobby of the city hall with only a wooden table and an executive chair to serve as “good example” to his constituents. IDL