Home court edge for Binay?

Allow us to react to George Del Mar (“VP Binay edges closer to witness stand,” 1/21/16). He has a point: The damage suit Vice President Jejomar Binay himself filed can be used against him—to force him to finally testify personally and be grilled on cross-examination. That is most desirable but hardly likely to happen. There is one major problem: The venue is suspect.

It is obviously a “home court” advantage for Binay! The widespread perception is most, if not all, of the judges in Makati City are burdened by a sense of “utang na loob” (sense of gratitude) for the perks and privileges the Binay dynasty had showered on them for so many years. With billions earned yearly in taxes, who knows how much of the city coffers the Binay regime have spent to make them feel “grateful”! We have heard of more favored judges being generously provided with service vehicles by the city government of Makati—an instance of which was already published in newspapers.

Binay, as the plaintiff, had the choice where to file the case: any place else where any of the defendants resides. Good sense dictated that he should have chosen a venue where the court’s integrity and impartiality would be held above suspicion. As Vice President, he should have set a shining example of delicadeza for others to emulate. But it seems prudence no longer forms part of his vocabulary; he seems more bent on bullying and oppressing those who are exposing his shenanigans.

Now we know what kind of a president he will be—aside from knowing already what he had become as mayor of Makati: from a “poor human rights lawyer” to an ultra-rich billionaire! Binay’s advertisements keep reminding us that what he has done for Makati he will do the same for the whole country.

People, let us get real: Makati’s population of registered residents is less than 500,000. How on earth can he afford to grant the same benefits to a population of more than 100 million people throughout the country? Do you not see what a big, fat lie that is?

—JEREMIAS H. TOBIAS, [email protected]