Peña continues cake-giving program in Makati

Amid criticisms from the camp of the Binays that he supposedly lacked authority to suspend existing programs in Makati, acting Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña on Wednesday said he would continue giving birthday cakes to senior citizens in the city.

Peña, who was criticized by Vice President Jejomar Binay himself for suspending Makati’s “sister city” agreements with other local government units, said he would not deprive his constituents of existing benefits that they currently enjoy.

“Kahapon ‘yung mga coordinator ko na ang pinagdeliver ko ng cake para personally makita nila na talagang tuluy-tuloy (Yesterday, my coordinators were the ones who delivered the cakes personally for them to see that it’s a continuous project),” Peña said in an interview with ANC Headstart.

READ: VP Binay slams Peña for suspending Makati City sister pacts | Peña orders probe on Makati’s hundreds of ‘sisters’ | Peña targets Makati ‘ghosts,’ suspends sister city pacts

But Peña said he would rather have commercial bakeshops to supply the cakes in order to avoid controversies.

“Ako kung masusunod, hangga’t maaari para wala na lang shadow of doubt sa mga bagay na ‘yan, gusto ko iba naman ‘yung gumagawa ng cake. Gusto naming i-try ‘yung Red Ribbon, o Goldilocks (If it were up to me, as much as possible to erase any doubts in that matter, I would like others to bake the cakes. We would like to try Red Ribbon or Goldilocks),” Peña said.

“Kasi unang-una, kapag doon ka pumunta sa mga stores na ‘yun, eh legal na ‘yun. Alam mo na ‘yung price nila, iyon ‘yung commercial price (In the first place, if you go those stores, it’s legal. You know their price, which is the commercial price),” he added.

Makati’s cake-giving program was put under the spotlight during a Senate hearing last year when lawyer Renato Bondal alleged that the cakes were overpriced.

In its report to the Court of Appeals on its petition to freeze the Vice President’s assets, the Anti-Money Laundering Council said suspended Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr., Rep. Abigail Binay and Senator Nancy Binay and alleged dummies founded Millennium Food Chains Corp., which supplied the birthday cakes.

READ: Binays’ own firm supplied birthday cakes in Makati

Saying that he himself was investigating the controversial food business, Peña said he has no problem with the cake-giving program, but added that he wanted senior citizens to receive more than cakes.

“I’m okay with that pero mas gusto ko pa rin na aside from that, madagdagan pa sila (I’d like them to receive more than cakes),” he said.