Human rights champs? Look at those they will die for

Rimaldo Pacifico had a query for former Senators Joker Arroyo and Rene Saguisag about their “human rights” buddy, now Vice President Jejomar Binay: Aren’t they even wondering why the Binays have become so rich, while the two of them look like paupers by comparison? (Letters, 2/5/16)

That was spot-on. Binay said that as a “human rights” advocate, he was poor and rendered free legal services to the poor. He kept telling people his is a real “from rags to riches” story. But, pray tell, how? By clamping a vise-grip on the City Hall of Makati—the richest city in the country—for decades? Legitimate salaries of “public servants” don’t make multimillionaires. So, where did the present-day mansions, the manors, the pricey assets and estates of the Binays come from? Don’t they tell the very definition of “ill-gotten wealth” and plunder?

Joker and Saguisag are really some characters. They both proclaim they are for truth and justice, transparency and accountability of government officials—yet, look at the presidents they were willing to “die for.” As it were, Joker so worshipped the ground Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (now facing plunder charges at the Sandiganbayan) walked on that he tried to block inquiry into corruption charges against her while he was in the Senate. Saguisag so idolized Joseph Estrada (already a convicted plunderer) such that not a word came out of his mouth to criticize him, despite being so voluble about everything else!

And then last Jan. 29 at the Senate, they felt no shame whatsoever in wearing their hearts on their sleeves to lend support to the younger dynast in Makati (Mayor Junjun Binay) whose “human rights” were supposedly being trampled upon by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee—all reminiscent daw of the abuse the late Ninoy Aquino was subjected to under martial law! Puh-lease!!! That’s how badly they want to see the Binay patriarch (himself facing plunder charges at the Office of the Ombudsman already) occupy Malacañang come 2016!

Seriously, what’s up with you, guys?

—GABRIELLE MICHELLE M. AGUILLERA, [email protected]