THE camp of incumbent Makati mayor Jejomar Binay totally routed the opposition with a sweep of all elective positions up for grabs in the country’s financial and business center.

Binay, president of the United Opposition, said Malacañang’s harassment tactics against him helped the Genuine Opposition slate to achieve a 20-0 sweep of local posts in the opposition bailiwick, a feat it almost achieved in the 2001 elections when it scored 19-1, with only Nemesio "King" Yabut Jr. making it to the winners’ circle from the administration’s ticket.

"This landslide victory for the Makati candidates of the Genuine Opposition is a repudiation of the Arroyo administration. The message of Makati is clear - in a democracy, it is the people who will judge their leaders," Binay said as he paid tribute to President Arroyo for serving as his "campaign manager."

In the final count, Binay garnered 198,814 votes from the city’s two districts while his closest opponent, Sen. Lito Lapid of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, got 22,462 votes.

A third mayoral candidate, Elias Dulalia, received1,243 votes.

In the vice mayoral race, re-electionist Ernesto Mercado beat Yabut Jr. by more than 100,000 votes, taking 151,971 votes to the latter’s 48,456 votes.

Binay’s daughter Marlen Abigail beat Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino’s son Erwin, 70,904 votes to 41,191 votes in the congressional race in the second district.

Re-electionist Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. beat former councilor Oscar Ibay, who filed the graft cases that led to Binay’s deferred suspension, 85,958 votes to 17,489 votes in the first district.

All seats for the city council were also taken by members of Binay’s team led by his son Jejomar Erwin Jr.

After their proclamation, Binay described his victory as a "victory for the people of Makati and all freedom-loving people." He said Malacañang misread the situation in ranging against him allegations of vote-buying, the distribution of goods, pressure, and even a motorcade by boxing champion Manny Pacquiao who campaigned for Lapid and Genuino.

"Malacañang has clearly misread the pulse of the people here. They forgot that the people of Makati are not influenced by false promises and propaganda," he said.

Binay said the tactics of the administration to get rid of him and boost the candidacy of his opponent, including the freeze order issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue on the city government’s bank accounts and the suspension order from the Ombudsman in connection with a graft case, all backfired.

Binay said he will work on his ongoing his programs for the city on his third term, particularly with its finances, education, and beautification programs.