Makati City Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado Thursday challenged Mayor Jejomar Binay to present credible proof to justify his request to place the central business district under Commission on Elections (Comelec) control for the duration of the election period.

“There seems to be a sinister plot behind the attempts of placing Makati under Comelec and police control by Mayor Binay, but we will closely watch them every step of the way,” the vice mayor claimed.

Mercado said his suspicions arose from claims of Binay that the recent alleged ambush of the latter’s adviser and the killing of a Binay ward leader last week were politically-motivated even without presenting an iota of proof.

This week, Binay formally asked the Comelec to place Makati under Comelec control, citing the recent ambush of his adviser and the killing of a Binay ward leader last week. “In the long history of my being mayor of Makati, we have never been known to start or provoke violence, whether during elections or otherwise. In fact, the damage has always been done against us,” he said in a letter to lawyer Michael Dioneda, Comelec-NCR Regional Director.

Mercado said he is puzzled by Binay’s claims that the incidents are politically-motivated when even police investigators have yet to establish the motives behind the twin crimes.

Supporters of Mercado said Binay’s proposal not only paint a bad image for the city, saying that Comelec and the Philippine National Police should not just take the claims and calls of Binay to put Makati under its control since the city and its people enjoy the peace it has now.

“I am supportive of the idea to put Makati City under Comelec control if there are credible proofs to justify such move, but if such action will be only based on views and empty political rhetoric by a few desperate politicians, I would lay my strongest objection against it before the law,” Mercado claimed.

The National Capital Region Police Office last week announced that it is seriously studying the request of Binay and in due time may submit a recommendation to the Comelec.

A Binay’s top aide, Gerry Limlingan, was allegedly ambushed in Cainta. Binay pressed for placing Makati City under the tight watch of the poll body with the killing of a certain Bernardo Olarte, which he claimed is politics-related.