HOME AWAY FROM HOME The media was finally shown the bedroom and kitchen at the Makati City mayor’s office, days after its longtime occupant was suspended. MARICAR BRIZUELA
The first time he was ordered suspended in March, Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. defied the Ombudsman’s directive by refusing to leave his 21st floor office for almost a month.
He even showed reporters the couch where he supposedly slept.
But now that a second suspension order has forced him to vacate his office and give way to Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña, it looks like the embattled mayor had more than just a sofa to keep him comfortable during those troubled nights.
Previously hidden from the public is the well-furnished living quarters at the Binay office, which comes with a double-size bed, dining area, kitchen and living room. A bathtub completes the hotel-like feel.
As acting mayor, Peña on Wednesday said he was finally allowing the media to see the mayor’s office in its entirety since City Hall should be open for all.
“It is just normal that I let people see the local government, the city hall, in its entirety. I am not occupying the mayor’s office so it’s up to the people if they want to visit it and have a look,” he said.
Reacting to Peña’s decision to show the previously restricted parts of the mayor’s office to the media, the Binay camp’s spokesperson Joey Salgado called it “a cheap stunt.”
PHOTO BY KRIXIA SUBINGSUBING
“The office has been there since the Vice President’s leadership,” he said, referring to Junjun’s father, former Makati Mayor and now Vice President Jejomar Binay. “That is not new. No major works have been done. That is how the mayor’s office has looked like since its opening in 1999.”
Salgado explained that being the city mayor was a “24-hour” job, hence he would need a “small” bedroom at the office.
“Mayor Binay spends the night inside his office when there is a typhoon to closely monitor the situation at the command center on the 23rd floor. The pantry and his private office are also small,” he said.
Salgado also noted that the mayor’s office had its own ceremonial hall for receiving official visitors. “It is also a venue for courtesy calls of ambassadors and local and foreign business leaders. Makati is after all the financial center and the premier city. The mayor’s office is also a venue for official functions and events of the city and has hosted several Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and Asia-Pacific conferences.” With reports from Krixia Subingsubing