Binay, Genuino camps swap assault, election law violation charges

MANILA, Philippines - Vice presidential candidate Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said yesterday an alleged supporter of mayoral candidate Erwin Genuino reportedly attacked him at the polling center in Barangay Sta. Cruz.

In a statement, Binay’s camp said the mayor was inspecting the peace and order situation in the city’s barangays when he accosted men wearing red T-shirts – the color reportedly associated with Genuino – in the Barangay Sta. Cruz polling area, which violates election rules. 

Volunteers from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting told Binay they had earlier informed the men of their violation, but were ignored. Binay ordered their arrest.

The still unidentified attacker missed when he tried to punch Binay as the mayor was leaving the polling center. The attacker instead hit Binay aide Ricardo Suarez, 50.

Suarez said Binay was talking with a lawyer of Genuino when the attack occurred.

Members of the mayor’s staff were hurt and have filed a complaint before the police.

“The assault on the mayor is deplorable. Add to this the seeming inaction of the concerned authorities on reports of rampant poll violations in Makati,” Joey Salgado, chief of the city’s information and community relations office said.

The Binay camp also deplored the “provocative” action of Genuino’s father, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chief Ephraim Genuino, who reportedly came to area after the incident accompanied by heavily armed bodyguards.

“There is apparently a flagrant violation of election rules. These people are sowing tension in Makati and the authorities need to do their job,” Binay said.

Binay’s son, Councilor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr., is the younger Genuino’s rival for Makati’s top post.

Binay ‘terrorized’ Genuino supporters – lawyer

Genuino’s lawyer, Francis Comendador, accused Binay of allegedly “terrorizing” his client’s supporters.

In a telephone interview with The STAR, Comendador said Binay went around polling centers accompanied by armed bodyguards, accosting Genuino’s supporters for wearing plain red T-shirts.

“One of Binay’s personnel (even beat up) one of our lawyers, Mark Bayquen,” he said.

Comendador said Genuino’s lawyers are consolidating all the pieces of evidence to file charges against Binay. He also said there is nothing wrong with wearing red, which is their “organizational adjustment” to prevent “what they had done to Genuino’s supporter during the 2007 elections.” He added that the law does not prohibit anyone from wearing plain red T-shirts.

Comendador accused Binay of violating the Omnibus Election Code “because candidates ought not to roam around polling precincts after casting their votes.”

Binay, Genuino camps told to cool down

Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado asked the camps of Binay and Genuino to cool down and turn away from violence.

“We don’t have details… but we were told that the scuffle stemmed from an argument over vote buying,” he said.

Mercado said it was not clear to witnesses what the argument was about but they were accusing each other of vote buying and preventing their supporters from casting their ballots.

He said there had been reports of vote buying in several areas in Makati and the PPCRV confirmed that voters were being paid up to P3,000 so they would not vote. The PPCRV said the vote buyers would mark the voter’s finger with indelible ink so they would not be given a ballot.