Sen. Tito Sotto is right: If you’re not into drugs or you’re not a criminal, you should feel safe in Metro Manila and elsewhere in the country at this time.
That’s Sotto’s reaction to singer-songwriter James Taylor’s decision to cancel his Feb. 25 concert in Manila to protest the summary execution of suspected drug offenders.
The senator said half of the number of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) reported “are not drug-related but related to common crimes like murder, homicide, robbery, etc.”
Many of the murder victims in the current spate of killings had police records; they were victimizers themselves.
The police are on the rampage against notorious hoods and drug dealers. By killing notorious hoods, the police are making the country safe for innocent and law-abiding citizens.
I don’t know why the United States makes a big fuss over the extrajudicial killing of a crime suspect in the Philippines when the New York Police Department (NYPD) was the first to engage in EJKs not so long ago.
A cop-killer in New York City never lived for his trial.
The first to copy NYPD’s unorthodox treatment of cop-killers in the Philippines was the old Manila Police Department (MPD).
A crime suspect who killed a member of the old MPD was himself killed before he could face the judge.
Ramon S. Ang, top honcho of San Miguel Corp., is a man who doesn’t trumpet his generosity.
That’s why when President Digong acknowledged during the Christmas party at the Palace that Ang was one of his campaign contributors, the beer tycoon blushed in embarrassment, according to an aide.
“Ramon Ang gave me some money. It was not big, but it was not small, but enough to finance one trip there, one trip here,” the President said.
However, in the list of Mr. Duterte’s campaign contributors, Ang’s name is not mentioned.
I know for a fact that Ang contributed P40 million to candidate Digong’s campaign kitty in the early days of the campaign.
I was present when Ang handed the money to Eddie Bangayan, one of Digong’s trusted leaders.
Bangayan, a copra magnate, is not related to David Bangayan, an alleged smuggler whom then Davao City Mayor Duterte threatened to shoot.
Bangayan told me later Ang gave another P50 million to Digong’s camp as the presidential campaign progressed.
Ang told me he contributed to all the presidential candidates, without any exception.
A businessman should not take sides in a political contest, Ang said.
The Catholic Church should learn a lesson or two from Ang when it comes to politics.
Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the Quezon City Police District, has ordered the roundup of some 100 homeless families. They are to be taken to Camp Karingal, QCPD’s headquarters.
No, Eleazar is not arresting them; neither is he turning them over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Eleazar is hosting a Christmas party today for the vagrant families who will be given hot soup, grocery bags, slippers and ice cream
The party, which will be held at the QCPD covered court, is sponsored by Eleazar’s friend.