Ernesto Mercado’s mea culpa

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado has dropped a bombshell about Vice President Jojo Binay and his son, Makati Mayor Junjun, when he admitted that he made money on the supposedly overpriced P2.3-billion, 12-story Makati parking building.

Mercado’s admission before a Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigating the Binays’ alleged plunder of Makati’s coffers was not only a big blow to Jojo, his former boss, but to him as well.

Mercado incriminated himself in his public mea culpa and could possibly go to prison for it.

Why would Mercado risk a life in prison for plunder if his intention was only to destroy the reputation of his erstwhile close friend and “business” partner”?

He’s like a dying man making an antemortem declaration.

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Mercado is a known big-time gambler; he lost millions at the casinos and in cockfights.

Where did he get the tons of money to fritter away on gambling and other vices on a vice mayor’s salary?

If Mercado earned big time as vice mayor of the country’s premier city, it follows that his mayor and admittedly major “business partner,” Jojo, got the lion’s share.

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If Jojo Binay ran Makati the way his former vice mayor  said when he was mayor and his wife, Elenita, allegedly did the same as mayor, with their son Jojo continuing the legacy, how do you see this country being run by the Binays after P-Noynoy is gone?

Let’s take a glimpse into the future.

With Jojo in Malacañang, Nancy in the Senate, Abby in the House of Representathieves, Junjun probably as interior secretary and Doctora Elenita probably as health secretary, the Binays’ hold on the country would be complete.

The “B” sign (for Binay, of course) Makati residents see in practically every street corner would be all over the country.

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Actor Dennis Roldan has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping of a 3-year-old Chinese-Filipino boy in 2005.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court found Roldan, also a former congressman, guilty of masterminding the boy’s kidnapping.

What will happen to Roldan’s role as a father in the popular telenovela “My Destiny” at GMA 7?

Why did GMA 7 accept Roldan when it knew that he was facing a kidnapping case?

Taking in controversial actors seems to be the norm at the giant TV network.

When GMA 7 was confronted with the problem of actor Raymart Santiago, who was then a network talent, after the airport incident with this columnist, one of the network’s female news anchors reportedly told fellow employees:

“Let’s support Raymart over Tulfo because he’s our talent. We should back up our talents anytime.”

GMA 7’s slogan is “walang kinikilingan, walang pinoprotektahan” (We don’t protect or take sides).

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Camp Crame should investigate the allegation of broadcaster Orly Navarro, station manager of DWIZ-Dagupan, that a high official in Dagupan City and a top-ranking police officer could be behind his ambush.

Navarro was very critical of the city official and the police officer in his radio show “Orly sa IZ.”

As this was being written, he was still in the intensive care unit of a hospital in the city.