Evidence of alleged plunder

PRESIDENT Digong is not inclined to go to war with China over the disputed Panatag or Scarborough Shoal which, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled, belongs to the Philippines.

But China refuses to respect the court’s ruling which has created tension between us and our big and powerful neighbor.

In his campaign speeches, then presidential candidate Digong Duterte said he did not want to waste the lives of Filipino soldiers who would be arrayed against China’s several million-strong army.

As the saying goes, prudence is the better part of valor.

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Yes, the Philippines is a David and China is a Goliath, if we make comparisons.

But no, the Philippines can never beat China in war.

The David vs Goliath story, where a small boy killed a heavily armed giant with a slingshot, happened only in Biblical times.

It can never happen in this day and age.

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So, what Mano Digong wants is to negotiate with China on the possibility of bilateral exploration for oil on the disputed sandbar in South China Sea, which goes underwater during high tide.

And since China is under world pressure as a result of the arbitration court’s ruling in favor of the Philippines, it will surely agree to have diplomatic talks with our country.

President Digong’s offer to former President Fidel V. Ramos to become the country’s special envoy to China is brilliant.

Let’s hope FVR accepts the offer.

Elder statesman FVR is very much respected by China and can facilitate a diplomatic dialogue between that country and the Philippines.

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At last, the father-and-son duo of former Vice President Jojo Binay and former Makati City Mayor Junjun have been charged in the Sandiganbayan for the gross overprice of the 11-story Makati City Hall Building II.

The charges are for graft, malversation and falsification of public documents, which are bailable offenses.

Why weren’t they charged with the nonbailable offense of plunder since the amount involved was P2.28 billion?

Imagine, an 11-story car park, with elevators that often go out of order, costing the city P2.28 billion!

The other buildings on Ayala Avenue, the city’s business district—which are taller and more sophisticated in design—didn’t cost that much.

The building in question is just one of the many pieces of evidence of the alleged plunder of Makati by the Binays—Jojo, the husband; Junjun, the son; and Elenita, the wife—who ruled the city as mayor one after the other.