Continuing threats on Makati mayor’s life

Last June 21, Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay announced that his city was tightening its watch on embassies, buildings, malls, and vital facilities in the country’s financial center in a bid to avert bomb attacks and other criminal activities. This was two days after a bomb exploded at the Aqua Venture, a building located only a few meters away from the residence of Mayor Binay himself. The police investigation revealed that there were serious threats against the life of Mayor Binay. To confirm this report is the fact that his main security officer was assassinated in Taguig. Makati should be the example of peace and order in Metro Manila. The problem is that the Makati Mayor is the president of the United Opposition and now there is an open war between Malacañang and opposition mayors. We hope that the peaceful non-partisan residents of Metro Manila cities are not prejudiced by this conflict.

It was sad to read that Pablito Glean, head of Makati’s Business Permit and License Office, was drinking coffee with friends from the Bagwis Riding Club right in front of a Shell gasoline station. Suddenly, four men riddled him full of bullets. A security guard of Global City, Benhur Radam was also killed by stray bullets and three of Glean’s companions were wounded. Investigations have yet to establish the reason for the shooting, but Binay claims it was all part of a plan to assassinate him. A DZBB report went as far as quoting Binay as saying that he believed his chief security officer was killed by former military men.

We honestly do not believe that assassinations can solve any of the nation’s problems. What we must do is to thoroughly investigate all assassinations and apprehend those behind each and every assassination. According to Binay, he has been accused by former Vice-Mayor Robert Brillante of putting ghost employees on the payroll of Makati City Hall. It should not be a big problem to establish if Makati City Hall has phantom employees or not. That is a matter of documentation.

The important thing is that the killings should stop. Let Makati be the model community it should be. Let peace and order with justice prevail. That means less politics and more public service. We are very proud of Makati’s progress. Before the war, it was known for a street called Culi-Culi. Believe it or not, that street was the center of prostitution. Now, Makati is the financial center of the country. If that is not progress, then we don’t know what progress means. <