Solon hits Binay for seeing Mar’s hand in Jamias’ promotion

VICE President Jejomar Binay is allegedly having delusions for believing that Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias was promoted as a reward for figuring in a standoff with him in late June at the Makati City Hall in late June, a congressman said Wednesday.

In a statement, Akbayan Rep. Barry Gutierrez said Binay is only resorting to smearing other peoples’ names because he could not even answer the graft charges against him and his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay over the alleged overpriced Makati Parking Building II and Makati Science High School Building.

“Unfortunately, these increasingly paranoid statements coming from the Binay camp have characterized their recent pronouncements. But I suppose those who are desperate and unwilling to squarely answer mounting charges against them would rather cast aspersions on others to try and shift the people’s attention away from themselves. But the people know better,” Gutierrez said.

In a statement, Binay’s spokesperson Atty. Rico Quicho said Jamias was promoted by Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as a reward for blocking Binay during the Makati City hall stand-off.

He called it the “Rule of Mar” that caused the promotion of Jamias to officer in charge of the Eastern Police District from being a deputy director of Southern Police District.

Quicho added that Jamias was promoted even though the “Rule of Mar” violated the right to assembly of Binay’s supporters who stood vigil at the height of the standoff.

“Under the daang matuwid slogan, those who please and follow Secretary Roxas get the immediate pabuya (reward) of a juicy position even at the expense of a competent and effective alternative,” Quicho said.

During the standoff, Jamias blocked Binay who wanted to visit his son after the Ombudsman imposed the preventive suspension order against the Makati mayor.

Caught on national television, Binay berated and threatened Jamias for refusing to let him enter the city hall.

Gutierrez said Binay’s camp should instead look into Jamias’ credentials.

Gutierrez noted that when Binay was mayor in 1999, he praised Jamias and wished there would be more people like him in the police force.

“On the basis of his excellent record, the promotion of Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias as Eastern Police District Chief should come as no surprise,” Gutierrez said.

He said the Vice President is “seeing conspiracies where there are none.”

“It is, thus, utterly unfortunate that public servants who are only doing their job become victims of these dark, twisted games,” Gutierrez said.

Vice President Binay and Secretary Roxas are expected to battle for the presidency in 2016. Binay beat Roxas in the vice presidential derby in 2010.