If the Senate subcommittee investigating the allegedly grossly overpriced Makati City parking building could only invite former Makati Vice Mayor Nestor Mercado, it may learn more about the Binays than all the resource persons who have been invited so far.
The Binays—Vice President Jojo and his son Mayor Junjun—are being investigated for the alleged overprice in the construction of the parking building, among other things.
Mercado and Vice President Jojo were very close friends when the latter was Makati mayor, but had a falling out.
There’s a saying that if you want to know a person’s bad side ask his enemy who used to be his best friend.
Mercado, who was Jojo Binay’s vice mayor, would make an excellent resource person for the Senate probe.
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Mercado and Binay parted ways after the latter reneged on his promise that he would have Mercado replace him as mayor.
But when his term was up, Jojo Binay made his son Junjun, who was a councilor then, run for mayor instead.
Mercado still ran for mayor but lost to Junjun.
“If Mercado starts talking, the Binays will be destroyed. He knows many, many things about the Binays,” said my source.
Mercado, the source claimed, knew about Jojo Binay’s financial dealings.
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President Noynoy appointed his former solicitor general, Francis Jardeleza, to the Supreme Court apparently to spite Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Sereno, as chair of the Judicial and Bar Council, had opposed Jardeleza’s inclusion in the shortlist of nominees.
The chief magistrate said she doubted Jardeleza’s loyalty to the country for his handling of the Philippines’ arbitration case against China in the United Nations.
The President’s appointment of Jardeleza as the 173rd associate justice of the high tribunal was in retaliation for the high court’s unanimous decision on the unconstitutionality of Malacañang’s Development Acceleration Fund (DAP).
P-Noynoy banked on Sereno, whom he appointed to the Supreme Court over the objections of many quarters because of her relatively young age, to vote in favor of the DAP.
Jardeleza’s appointment was also meant as a slap on the entire tribunal because as solicitor general, he led the defense of the DAP before the high court.
Once again, the President’s vindictive nature showed.
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Years ago, Maj. Gen. Ponciano Millena was appointed commandant of the Philippine Marine Corps despite strong opposition from fellow Marine officers who said he was hotheaded and full of spite.
Millena knew his detractors, who were his junior.
Instead of getting back at them, Millena forgave his detractors and asked for their support in running the “fightingest” unit in the Armed Forces.
Millena, a Spanish mestizo from Daraga, Albay province, was also benevolent towards his former detractors.
As a result, he is considered among the best commandants the Philippine Marines ever had.
If P-Noynoy would only do a Millena in running the country, he could become a very good president.