THE heist in the University of the Philippines (UP), resulting in three deaths, carried out by criminals in police attire illustrates once more what I have been voicing so many times in the past that: there should be stronger regulations against establishments which indiscriminately sell police and military uniforms even to nonservice personnel.

This is at the root of several costly and often bloody hold-up incidents in and outside the Metro. But part of the blame should also be laid on police authorities and to local governments for not properly monitoring the sale of these uniforms in their areas, an exercise which I believe should form part of their anticriminality, data gathering and prevention drive

In this particular incident, UP officials should also share the blame because everyone, including criminal elements, knows that UP is extremely jealous of its so-called autonomy and academic freedom, and that they practically consider the entire UP campus as an independent republic. Because of their internal policies, even police units assigned to their area cannot make routine patrols within the UP turf without some kind of a special arrangement.

Perhaps, had UP allowed police cars to routinely patrol the campus, the bloody incident—when criminals in police uniforms were able to cart away millions of cash in a highly successful lightning operation—may not have happened; and perhaps a faster police response could have given the authorities better opportunities for hot pursuit against these criminals.

Anyway, this incident should be an eye opener for UP officials, a wake-up call to remind them that UP is not an independent state that has the power to bar law-enforcement authorities from legitimately entering and patrolling its area, as the police are mandated to do for the rest of the country.

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Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, obviously inspired by the Obama phenomenon, has declared his intention to run for the presidency in 2010. I don’t begrudge Mr. Binay, but I am now convinced that the mayor of Makati must be a very rich man to declare his candidacy for the presidency, because everyone knows that one needs millions and millions of cash to launch a presidential bid.

I still remember how my friend Jojo Binay was roaming the aisles of city hall during the martial-law years, chasing at cases in fiscals’ offices and in the courts, like any other legal practitioner who makes lagare for his daily hearings.

Now, this tenderfoot who I hear is the president of the Boy Scouts, has suddenly indicated that he has amassed so much money to be able to afford to run for president in 2010. By the way, with Binay declaring his candidacy to the presidency, I’m afraid that the opposition will be in greater confusion come 2010.

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The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) was about to do another slight of hand, this time against the suffering customers who have been demanding for refunds of their meter deposits.

First, Meralco made a big announcement that it will start refunding customers, only to suddenly announce that customers must wait for notices to be sent to their homes and not troop to Meralco offices and demand for refund. After this, there came another announcement that it is asking for a suspension of the refund, which shows how tricky the Meralco people are by first giving false hopes to their customers, only to retreat from their own commitment.

We are happy the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) put its foot down and ordered Meralco to proceed with the payments of the announced refund. This time, let us hope the ERC will really enforce its orders.

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I believe the House has a right to insist to proceed with its own investigation into the so-called fertilizer scam. The reason is that most of the reported beneficiaries were House members, and some of those mentioned may not even have received one drop of these liquid fertilizers said to have been distributed under the watch of Mr. Joc-joc Bolante.

Personally, I’m interested because I read in one broadsheet that my name is listed as one of the beneficiaries of this fertilizer-assistance program. But I wish to assure the country that I never received even one centavo or a drop from the proceeds of this fertilizer fund. Whoever included my name on the list of beneficiaries must have used my name without my knowledge or permission; in fact, I want to know who this person is so I can wring his neck.

Imagine, I was Deputy Speaker at the time and I was never informed about this fertilizer-assistance program for distribution to farmers. If anyone can prove that I received even a teaspoon of this liquid fertilizer, or of any fertilizer of whatever form or substance, I will resign and submit myself to any investigation.

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I believe the House is correct if it objects to the increase in insurance coverage of deposits by the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC), from P250,000 to P1 million.

Under Republic Act (RA) 3591, as amended by RA 9302, the maximum insured deposit with PDIC is only P250,000. Since the law provides that the maximum amount is only P250,000, then that amount cannot be increased by Executive fiat, but by another congressional amendment.

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