TAGUIG City Mayor Lani Cayetano urged the Supreme Court to direct Makati City Mayor Abby Binay to explain why she should not be penalized following her statement that the case concerning the two cities’ territorial dispute is not yet over.

Cayetano has filed a motion asking the high tribunal for an immediate action to correct the misleading statement of Binay and to avoid any confusion it may cause.

Cayetano’s move was in reaction to Binay’s media interview where she said there is no closure yet on the land dispute, saying the high court has allegedly set oral arguments on the case.

The Makati chief executive said that their legal team has received an order from the court.

However, Cayetano said that Taguig, which is party to the case, did not receive any order.

To further verify Binay’s claim, Cayetano said counsel Warren San Jose, from Taguig’s Legal Office, went to the SC and learned from the high court’s third division which handles the case, that there was no order or any resolution issued pertaining to the conduct of oral arguments.

Binay’s statement was also contradicted by SC spokesman Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka, who said that there are no orders for the setting of oral arguments because there was already an Entry of Judgment on the csse.

In a resolution dated September 28, 2022 the SC affirmed its previous decision on December 1, 2021.

Under the rules of court, once an entry of judgment on a certain case has already been made, the decision is already final and it can no longer be appealed or revised.

Taguig has also criticized the filing of a second motion for reconsideration by Makati, when in fact it is no longer allowed in cases which have already reached finality.

In an interview with Cayetano after the filing of the motion before the SC, she said that the decision of the high tribunal is clear and it should be respected.

“Final na ang decision ng Korte Suprema tungkol sa kasong ito at bilang mga responsableng mga opisyal ng aming mga respective local government units, katungkulan na namin na una, payapain ang kalooban ng aming mga kababayan dahil ang desisyon na ito, obviously, ay magdudulot ng maraming katanungan, agam-agam, pangamba lalo na sa mga barangay na dati ay sakop ng Makati,” said Cayetano.

“Gusto ko po ipahayag bilang mayor ng Taguig na wala sa aming intensiyon na may maantala na serbisyo publiko sa mga barangay na dati ay sakop ng Makati. Ang intensiyon po namin ay agarang pag-aralan na kung paano magsisimula sa transition dahil ultimately, kapakanan ng mga residente ang pinakamahalaga,” she added.

Cayetano averred that Taguig’s local government is prepared to take over the ten barangays that formerly belonged in Makati this year.