VP Binay assaulted, threatened policemen—official

Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias receives a call while detailed as ground commander of police units securing the Makati City Hall. RUEL PEREZ/RADYO INQUIRER

Police will charge Vice President Jejomar Binay for assaulting, badmouthing and threatening lawmen tasked to secure the Makati City Hall, an official said Tuesday.

Senior Superintendent Elmer Jamias, deputy chief for administration for the Southern Police District (SPD), said he and his men would file charges of physical injury, direct assault on a person of authority, oral defamation and grave threat against Binay.

“Hindi ko inaaasahan na ang Vice President pa natin pa ang mangunguna sa paglabag sa batas,” (I did not expect the Vice President to take the lead in breaking the law) said Jamias, the ground commander of policemen deployed to keep the peace at the city hall grounds.

“Kagabi ay hindi ako nag-expect na dadating si Vice President Binay at ako ay kukumprontahin niya at lalait-laitin bilang alagad ng batas,” (Last night, I did not expect that Vice President Binay would arrive to confront me and berate as a lawman) Jamias told Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

According to him, Binay wanted the police to leave City Hall where the Vice President’s son, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, was holding out after the Office of the Ombudsman suspended him again—this time over the allegedly overpriced Makati Science High School building.

Jamias said that when he saw Binay, he expected the Vice President to thank him and his men for providing security at the Makati City Hall complex.

READ: VP Binay in heated confrontation with police

“Ngunit kabaligtaran ang tinanggap ko, puro panlalait, panghahamon at threat,” (But the opposite happened. I only got berated and threatened) he said.

After accosting him, Jamias said Binay turned to his men.

“Ilang minuto lang, ‘yung mga tauhan ko ay kanyang kinwelyuhan at sinaktan,” (Later, he turned to my men whom he collared and attacked) Jamias claimed.

Binay also reportedly collared Chief Inspector Gideon Gines for allegedly pushing away Aida Dizon, the sister of his wife Dr. Elenita Binay, when she tried to enter the City Hall. Gines denied Binay’s claim.

At one point, Jamias said Binay grabbed and pulled away one of his supporters whom police had arrested for making threats that he had a grenade.

Despite the incident, the official said police maintained maximum tolerance towards Binay and his supporters.

Jamias said he and his men would remain at City Hall to prevent any untoward incident that may happen between the supporters of Binay and their rivals.

Later Tuesday morning, eight persons, including three policemen, were injured when supporters of the mayor tried to prevent officials of the Department of Interior and Local Government from serving the suspension order against him and 14 other city officials. Mary Gillan Frances Ropero, Inquirer.net trainee

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