Tough times ahead for Elenita Binay

The revival of the death penalty, especially for drug trafficking, will put an end to the relationship between convicted drug lords and their politician protectors.

Several guns found by raiders in the quarters of Peter Co, one of the inmates found living luxuriously in the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) compound, could indicate a connection between drug traffickers and some government officials.

The guns were licensed in the names of a congressman, a barangay councilman and a defeated candidate for representative and a government employee.

One of the guns, a Walther PPK found in Co’s quarters, is under the name of Guimaras Rep. Joaquin Carlos Rahman, while a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle is registered to Carlos Tuquia, who ran under the Liberal Party in the second district of Valenzuela City.

What does that mean? That Co had powerful and influential backers.

If this is so, then logic tells us that the other drug lords who were living it up until that raid also enjoyed protection from other politicians.

The Aquino government should ignore the argument of the Catholic Church that only God can take a person’s life.

Why should we continue to save the lives of men who continue to destroy the future of young people and the fabric of our society even when they’re already in prison?

Why should we spare evil men who are beyond reform from the gallows?

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Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Franklin Bucayu said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) should give him the names of prison officials and guards who might have tipped off the convicted drug lords about the raid at the NBP so he could investigate.

Some NBI agents who took part in the raid on the quarters of these convicts expressed surprise why the “Very Important Prisoners” seemed to have known about the raid in advance.

More incriminating evidence would have been uncovered if there was no tip about an impending raid.

Bucayu sounded angry on the phone in an interview when he was asked to comment about the raid.

C’mon, Bucayu, cut the theatrics!

Roberto Rabo, NBP officer-in-charge, said he found out about the raid only on the day itself.

The NBP guards who guided the raiding team also had no prior knowledge about Monday’s raid either, Rabo said.

So if the NBP officials and guards didn’t know about the raid in advance, who could have informed the Very Important Prisoners?

It was only Bucayu who knew about the raid in advance as he reportedly was in close touch with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who led the raid.

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Elenita Binay. INQUIRER file photo.

Dr. Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jojo Binay, has canceled her planned trip to Tokyo from Dec. 18-23.

Her lawyers said she expected her request for travel abroad would not be granted by the Sandiganbayan.

The presumptive first lady and former Makati mayor has apparently been told that the graft case against her was so strong she could be convicted.

Dr. Binay has been charged in one Sandiganbayan division with not only doing away with a public bidding but also with jacking up the prices of office equipment worth P107 million when she renovated Makati City Hall.

She is charged separately in another Sandiganbayan division for the alleged overprice purchase of beds for the Ospital ng Makati when she was mayor from 1998 to 2001.

Dr. Binay was reportedly told that going on vacation would give the justices hearing her cases that she is taking the cases lightly, and it looks like she really is.

If Elenita Binay gets convicted, then that’s a saving grace for the country’s judicial system which has long been accused of favoring rich and powerful litigants.