Mayor Abby: Running for Taguig mayor an ‘option’ in 2025

Makati City Mayor Abby Binay said running for mayor of Taguig City remains an “option” in the 2025 local elections but stressed that her priority is ensuring the welfare of EMBO residents whose villages have been placed by the Supreme Court (SC) under Taguig’s jurisdiction.

Mayor Abby Binay

“Despite the fact that it is my last term, I have come to realize that I have so many options for 2025. It (running for Taguig mayor) is an option, but it is at the bottom of the list,” Binay told the Rotary Club of Makati on Tuesday, Jan. 9, where she also discussed Makati’s programs and initiatives aimed at boosting the city’s business sector.

She clarified that she is still waiting for “some divine intervention” before making a final decision.

“My focus really is to ensure that the residents in my EMBOs are taken care of. That’s my only concern. Whether I will run or not run or end up endorsing someone ensures that my former residents will be taken care of,” Binay explained.

The mayor said there are several factors that she is considering before she makes the decision to run for Taguig mayor, particularly establishing her residency in Taguig.

“I cannot be a sitting mayor [of Makati] if I am no longer a resident. So, I will have to resign and move my residency and my voter’s registration to Taguig. That’s something we have to wait for, and [it] will be the sure sign of my decision in 2025,” the three-term Makati mayor said.

EMBO health centers

At the start of 2024, the feud between the two local government units (LGUs) was reignited after the Makati city government closed down all health centers and lying-in clinics located in the 10 EMBO barangays comprised of Pembo, Comembo, Cembo, South Cembo, West Rembo, East Rembo, Pitogo, Rizal, Northside, and Southside after its licenses to operate expired. Taguig City then issued a statement condemning Makati’s move.

In response, Makati City Administrator Atty. Claro Certeza said Taguig has prior knowledge about the closure of the health centers but did nothing about it.

“Matagal nang alam ng Taguig na magsasara ang health centers sa EMBO barangays bago pa man into i-anunsyo ng Makati. Matagal na ring alam ng Taguig na kailangan ng License to Operate para sa health centers sa EMBO. Ito ay ipinaalala pa sa kanila ng Metro Manila Center for Health Development ng Department of Health (DOH) sa isang sulat noong Nov. 21, 2023. Ano ng naging aksyon ng Taguig? WALA (Taguig City has prior knowledge that the EMBO barangays’ health centers will be shut down even before Makati City announced it. They also known long before that the License to Operate is needed by the EMBO health centers which was reminded to them by the Metro Manila Center for Health Development of the Department of Health in a letter dated Nov. 21, 2023. But what did Taguig do about it? NONE).”

“Ngayon, pinalalabas ng Taguig na sila ay ginigipit ng Makati. Hindi ba ito katawa-tawa? At sino ngayon ang nagsasakripisyo sa buhay at kapakanan ng mga taga-EMBO para sa politikal na interes? Para sa kaalaman ng mga namamahala ng Taguig, ang License to Operate ay kailangan para sa health facilities na nagbibigay ng diagnostic services. Bukod sa konsultasyon, ang diagnostic services ay kasama sa mga serbisyong ibinibigay ng health centers ng Makati na nasa EMBO barangays. Malamang ay konsultasyon lang ang ibinibigay na serbisyo ng health centers ng Taguig kaya hindi nila alam na kailangan ng License to Operate (Now, Taguig is pretending that Makati is giving them a difficult time. Isn’t that laughable? Now, who is the one sacrificing the lives and future of EMBO residents just for the sake of political interest? For Taguig’s information, the License to Operate is needed for health facilities to provide diagnostic services. Aside from consultation, diagnostic services are included in the services being given by Makati health centers located in the EMBO barangays. Maybe Taguig’s health centers can only provide consultations, hence their lack of knowledge that the License to Operate is needed),” he added.

Certeza noted that Taguig has flatly refused all proposals coming from Makati to ensure uninterrupted access to health services in the EMBO barangays, including the creation of a data-sharing agreement with Taguig to facilitate the health centers.

“Taguig refused to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Makati regarding the properties owned and managed by the city. It also refused to enter into a Data Sharing agreement. Instead, they continue to make the outrageous claim that they own the public facilities constructed by Makati and the land on which these facilities have been built. Uulitin lang namin para sa kapakapanan ng mga namamahala sa Taguig: ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema ay tungkol sa political jurisdiction. It is about political territory, not ownership (We would just like to remind the officials of Taguig that the Supreme Court’s decision only covers political jurisdiction. It is about political territory, not ownership),” he explained.

Binay also supported Certeza’s statement saying the Taguig city government was not open to dialogues.

“Their answer is, ‘You have no right to the data. You just give that to us without having to sign a data-sharing agreement.’ So it’s always a stalemate. They do not appreciate or meet us halfway. It’s really hard to talk to people who don’t really want to talk. For the health centers, the facilities are owned by the city; they are not owned by the national government,” she said. — Patrick Garcia