Junjun Binay: No political plans for now

Despite a Court of Appeals (CA) decision that set the stage for his return to politics, former Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. said on Tuesday that he had no such plans for now.

“Truthfully, I am enjoying private life. I am spending a lot of time with my family; time for myself,” Binay said in a statement.

“So right now, I have no [political] plans. It hasn’t been discussed,” he added.

Binay’s sister, Abigail, is currently serving a three-year term as Makati City mayor that began in June 2016 after she defeated former Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña.

Permanent ban

Peña took over as acting mayor in 2015 after Binay was suspended and then permanently barred from holding office by the Ombudsman over alleged irregularities in the construction of the P2.3-billion Makati City Hall Building II.

Binay thanked his supporters and promised he would continue to serve them, using carefully worded statements that avoided shutting the door completely to a return to politics.

“You can rest assured that service does not always need to be from within the government,” Binay said. “[Our family] is always here, always ready to be of service to the Filipinos.”

Binay also heralded the Court of Appeals’ May 3 ruling that cited the “Aguinaldo” doctrine which absolves officials of administrative liabilities after their reelection. He also said his family had been “singled out” in a political witch hunt.