Tomas’ animosity towards SM

POCA

Many are wondering why our mayor of Cebu City is after BDO and SM when in fact these corporations are major investors in Cebu.

The mayor accused them of violating some laws and even threatened them with closure, but there is a law that reigns supreme in any rational society and that is the law of common sense.

Remember, SM and BDO are owned by the Sy family, and they have been with us all over the country and in some parts of the world.

SM and BDO are two of the most respected companies in the Philippines, and I don’t think they are going to destroy their reputation just to violate some laws.

In the case of BDO, they posted on their banks a notice that they have complied with some requirements of City Hall, but the same agency has not acted favorably on their permit.

What I heard is that SM is canceling its planned project of an international convention center and a sports arena which would deprive Cebuanos of possible thousands of jobs and good venues for conventions and sports activities.

Instead of Cebu City being investor friendly, we are now considered as a local unit that is unfriendly, even hostile, to investors.

Many are hoping that the issue between the mayor and SM and BDO be resolved in a positive manner that would benefit the Cebuanos.

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The favorite proposed legislation now pending in the House of Representatives is the reimposition of the death penalty in our country, and taking the lead to revive it is House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez.

Alvarez wants the super majority in the Lower House to support the bill; but the progressive bloc is against the death penalty bill because it simply won’t work given that the country’s judicial system is weak, broken and corrupt.

Just like the war on drugs waged by the Duterte administration, it is the poor who gets killed while the rich and powerful go scot free.

For as long as our justice system remains corrupt, the death penalty is not going to work in our country because the rich and the powerful would just pay either the police, the prosecutor or the judge to earn their freedom while the poor will be put to death.

Secondly, when criminals violate the law they don’t know the penalties that await them for doing so.

Thirdly, the criminals would see to it that they kill the victims so there won’t be any witnesses to their crimes and no one would report it to the police.

Those clamoring for a return to the death penalty forget there are jails to lock up those criminals who still have a chance to reform. The death penalty is never the answer to eliminating crime in the country.