Makati Mayor Binay now the target of assassins

The Makati Police has confirmed that there are actual threats against the life of Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay. One can just imagine the dire effect it would have to our national situation if the mayor of the commercial center of the Philippines was gunned down by assassins. If the mayor of Makati is not safe in Makati, then who is? Or is the Mayor of Makati the only Makati resident that is not safe in the very city that he runs?

It is true that Jejomar Binay is not only the Mayor of Makati, he is also the President of the United Opposition. But political questions cannot be resolved with bullets. It is common knowledge that Mayor Binay has been behind many of the Gloria-Step-Down rallies that have taken place in his city, but he has not broken any laws in Makati or outside. Everything he has done is within his rights as an oppositionist. His being Mayor of Makati is incidental.

We are certain that the Makati police can more than handle the problem of Mayor Binay’s personal security. What we don’t like is the fact that there are groups or individuals who believe that they can solve a city’s or a national problem by merely pulling the trigger of a gun. Almost every day, we read of some individual being gunned down by his personal enemies. Now, it may be happening right in Makati and to its very mayor.

We are a democratic country. We should all abide by the Constitution. Nationally, we now have the problem of demanding that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo voluntarily steps down from office. If there are legal reasons for her to step down, then, she should be impeached. But to demand that she voluntarily gets out of Malacañang is what Filipinos describe as "suntok sa buwan". When we elect candidates, we elect them up to a prescribed time.

If there are people who are dissatisfied with Mayor Binay’s performance, they should prepare a candidate for his replacement. To try to get rid of him by sending him to the next world only shows that they should be behind bars. According to the Makati Police, there was a similar plot to eliminate Binay in 2002. It did not materialize then, meaning the rule of law prevailed. That is all we ask – that the rule of law be implemented. If they want to get rid of Binay, it should be through legal means. If he has committed any crime that merits his ouster, the public should be made aware of it. The way we see it, Makati is a peaceful, orderly and progressive city. Assassinating its mayor is the worst thing that can happen to the city. It will definitely be a major step backwards.