Forces at Makati City hall beefed up with 150 cops

Not taking any chances, the National Capital Region police has sent at least 150 personnel to "help" secure the Makati City Hall following the suspension of mayor Jejomar Binay Friday night. Radio dzRH reported that as of Sunday morning, the Metro Manila police sent 150 personnel from its elite Regional Special Action Unit (RSAU) to beef up Makati City police already at City Hall. It added the Southern Police District (SPD), which supervises the Makati police, reminded police stationed at City Hall to "remain neutral." The dzRH report said the police were instructed to keep Binay's supporters from storming City Hall. Several supporters of Binay tried to prevent interior undersecretary Marius Corpus from entering City Hall Friday night. However, Corpus managed to enter City Hall and talk to Binay, who agreed to honor the suspension order. Binay is to formally turn over the mayor's office to vice mayor Ernesto Mercado at 8 a.m. Monday, after the interior department served a 60-day suspension order on him Friday night. The mayor, who is a member of the Genuine Opposition's executive committee, had branded his suspension as political harassment. He is set to appeal his case at a court on Monday, through a plea for a temporary restraining order. - GMANews.TV