I TOTALLY understand why the Makati City government continues to fight for jurisdiction of certain areas recently declared by the Supreme Court (SC) as part of Taguig City.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay has compelling reasons to relentlessly defend Bonifacio Global City and 10 adjacent barangays, on top of them is that these localities are the political stronghold of her husband Rep. Luis Jose Campos Jr.

Campos represents in the lower house the second district of Makati which, prior to the SC ruling, covers 13 barangays namely Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Guadalupe Nuevo, Guadalupe Viejo, Pembo, Pinagkaisahan, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, Post Proper Southside, Rizal, South Cembo and West Rembo.

But out of the 13 barangays, 10 — Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Post Proper Northside, Post Proper Southside, Rizal, South Cembo and West Rembo — were ordered by the SC to be transferred to the jurisdiction of Taguig.

Thus, imagine a kingdom being greatly reduced in size. How would a king react to it? He would definitely go to war for that matter. And that’s why the city mayor is hell-bent on reclaiming the areas removed from Makati’s jurisdiction.

As the chief executive of Makati, it’s not surprising that Binay is exhausting all means to recover Bonifacio Global City and the other barangays, going as far as dangling the benefits her city provides to its residents in the hope that they too would oppose the transfer of the concerned areas to Taguig.

The mayor wanted the areas back so bad that she mentioned the SC has scheduled oral arguments on the case when there was none. No other than Supreme Court Spokesman Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka denied such claim of the mayor.

I must say that Binay is gallantly fighting a tough battle. But with the SC already having a decision in favor of Taguig, Binay has no other option but to comply with the order of the highest court.

As they say, when the Supreme Court issues a final ruling, it becomes a jurisprudence and part of the law of the land. It becomes a law that anyone is compelled to follow. Failure to do so may be charged with contempt of court punishable with the appropriate fine and imprisonment.

A lawyer, Binay probably knows fighting the SC decision would be futile. It would do her political interests more harm than good. This is a time when political agendas are superseded by matters for the greater good.

Thus, a dignified gesture for Binay at this stage would be to respect and follow the SC ruling which, by the way, considered the “best interest” of the people.

“It would thus be an abdication of our duty if we would not look into all facets of the present dispute in coming up with a judicious adjudication of Makati and Taguig’s conflicting factual claims.

We have to resolve, with finality, the territorial dispute that has gripped both cities for decades, bearing in mind the best interest of the constituents of the affected government units,” the SC decision said.

The 30-year territorial dispute between Makati and Taguig was settled by the SC after it decided that the territory in question is under the legal jurisdiction of Taguig based on historical evidence, cadastral survey and contemporaneous acts of lawful authorities or events in the past.

Hosaka said there has already been an Entry of Judgment in Civil case No 63896 where any attempt by Makati City to revive the territorial dispute by filing any pleadings, letters, motions or any communication related to the case will not be accepted by the SC.

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