FOR two straight days, the Philippine Daily Inquirer's banner headlines were about bringing our disputes with China to the United Nations. Its banner on June 26: 'Senator backs bringing WPS case vs China to UN.' Who's the senator? Francis Tolentino.

Yes, he's vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, which, because it doesn't have a hand in almost anything in the country, is one of the least sought-after posts in the Senate. But c'mon, Tolentino's worldview has probably not gone beyond Tagaytay, which he has headed for 18 years, and beyond the buildings of Metro Manila as chairman for five years of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.