Binay camp blasts Peña for claiming credit for Makati’s P11-B tax take

Acting Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr. INQUIRER PHOTO

SUSPENDED Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay’s spokesperson on Monday called acting Makati Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña Jr. “presumptuous” and “epal” for allegedly claiming the city’s tax collection efforts as his own.

“Epal” is a Filipino colloquial term for people who are brazen in grabbing attention.

“Having been in his post for barely two months at the time the total income of the city was tallied, it was presumptuous, if not downright brazen, of Peña to attribute the 90 percent attainment of this year’s target total income of the city to his administration,” Binay’s spokesperson Joey Salgado said in a statement.

More than a week ago, Peña announced that the city of Makati has collected P11.05 billion in taxes from January to August 20.

He said the city government has already reached 90 percent of its target of P12.28 billion for the year.

Peña attributed the feat to efficient issuance of business permits and collection of business and realty taxes.

But Salgado said it was a “clear example” of credit-grabbing.

“If you listen to them talk to the people of Makati, they now claim authorship of such programs as the yellow card and benefits for senior citizens which began under the leadership of Vice President Binay and continued by Mayor Junjun Binay,” he said.

Salgado argued that the Makati city government has “consistently increased its annual revenue collection for the past two decades.”

He claimed that it was Vice President Jejomar Binay, who served as Makati mayor for two decades, and his son Junjun who were responsible for “business-stimulating policies.”

The Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of the younger Binay over graft complaints. The Binay family has been accused of pocketing commissions from the construction of government buildings in Manila.