Binay sisters' feud heats up over Makati subway project

The long-running feud between former Makati mayor Abby Binay and her sister, Nancy Binay, heats up again, with the former telling her successor to brush up on financial literacy first before hurling accusations over the aborted subway project.

- By EJ MACABABBAD

Nancy's one-week-old administration is flagging the alleged midnight deal that Makati struck with Philippine Infradev Holdings Corp., the private proponent of the intracity subway system, which was later deemed "economically unfeasible."

City budget officer Aileen Mallillin certified on July 3 that there is no available appropriation in the 2025 budget to cover the settlement for the project amounting to $160 million or P8.9 billion.

"The settlement not being in the 2025 budget doesn't mean that Makati has no funding to pay for it," Abby told reporters yesterday.

The former mayor said Makati had cash in bank worth P30 billion as well as P243 billion in assets when she left office on June 30.

She reiterated that the city council could pass a supplementary budget if no appropriation existed.

City legal officer Ava Marie Ramel has described the settlement as "legally flawed" and "grossly disadvantageous."