Binay orders probe of Bayan Muna leader’s abduction

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday ordered the Makati City Police Department to look deeper into the reported abduction of a Bayan Muna activist in Barangay Olympia early this week.

According to Binay, residents are alarmed that abductions and summary killings are now being reported in the country’s financial capital.

"They are alarmed because these incidents, which previously occur only in the provinces, are now happening in Makati," he said.

The reported abduction of Rolando Porter, 50, follows the ambush and killing of a former barangay councilor, who is a close political ally and personal friend of Binay.

The mayor himself, according to the MCPD, is facing "a serious threat" to his life because of his role as president of the United Opposition (UNO).

Police linked the killing of Councilor Edilmar Pancipane to the threat against Binay, a known critic of the Arroyo administration like Bayan Muna leaders and members.

"Twenty years after we toppled a dictator, we are seeing the resurgence of abductions, summary executions and rampant violations of civil liberties," Binay said.

"It seems that some powerful interests cannot accept the fact that in a democracy, you need an opposition to check the abuses of those who are in power," he added.

Porter was reportedly abducted last May 16 by unidentified men on board an L300 van for still unknown reasons.

The Makati police earlier conducted a threat assessment and confirmed that there are serious threats against the life of Binay.

The police assessment noted that Binay’s role as leader of the opposition and his persistent questioning of the legitimacy of the Arroyo administration "has earned him the ire of influential individuals."

The report added that suspicious individuals have been conducting surveillance on Binay’s residence and have been shadowing his convoy. — Michael Punongbayan