What was Ortega gunman’s motive?

China will not do anything drastic against the Philippines on the Spratlys dispute now that the US has given the assurance it would side with us if push comes to shove.

But just because of US assurance, we should no longer seek diplomatic means to settle our differences with China.

Our friendship with China will both benefit us and our fellow Asian nation.

China needs copper, nickel, iron mines, and a lot more.

Retired Army Gen. Victor Corpus, in his book “America’s Dim Mac (weak) Points,” points out that China starves for industrial, precious and earth metals that are found in great abundance in the Philippines.

Let’s exchange goods, instead of bullets, with China.

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President Noy is beginning to sound like a broken record in criticizing his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for massive graft.

In his Independence Day speech at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite, Mr. Aquino again lashed out at the irregularities committed during Gloria’s time.

Yes, the Arroyo administration plundered the country, but everybody—perhaps even a 7-year-old kid—knows that.

Why does P-Noy keep mentioning what has become very obvious?

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The President aims to make the country corruption-free during the remaining five years of his term.

That’s a tall order: tall on talk, short on action.

If P-Noy really wants an honest-to-goodness cleanup of his government, how come the allegedly most corrupt collector of the Bureau of Customs is still in his post?

This collector reportedly has a huge mansion (estimated worth: P300 million) at AFP Officers Village in Fort Bonifacio and drives luxury cars, like a Lexus and a Mercedes Benz, to work.

How come another customs official, Joey Yuchongco, who was recently reinstated by the Office of the Ombudsman in a “midnight” decision, has been given a lucrative position in the bureau—that of intelligence division chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service?

My customs sources say Yuchongco was placed in that position because of an alleged promise he made to Customs Commissioner Lito Alvarez.

Incidentally, Alvarez allegedly told a Malacañang official that he would carry on with a standard practice as what was done in the past.
But he was reportedly scolded for even bringing up the topic.

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The dropping of the murder case against former Palawan Gov. Joel Reyes and five others tagged in the killing of broadcaster and environment activist Gerry Ortega by the Department of Justice raised eyebrows.

Only the gunman and his companions, as well as Reyes’ former security aide, are being charged with the murder.

The reputation of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who once served as Reyes’ election lawyer, has been tainted with the dropping of murder charges against the ex-governor.

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Now, what would be the motive of the gunman and his pals—who were hired from Quezon province—and Reyes’ former bodyguard, in killing Ortega?

Ortega had been a pain in the neck for Reyes.

The former governor had been the subject of Ortega’s attacks in his radio commentaries for the alleged misuse of the multibillion-peso Malampaya fund.

Reyes, naturally, was the suspected mastermind since most of the people were charged with him, including the former provincial official who owned the murder pistol.

Former provincial administrator Romeo Serratubias, whose .45-caliber pistol was used in killing the popular radio commentator and environment advocate, was acquitted along with Reyes.