“Nobody deserves your tears, but whoever deserves them will not make you cry.” –Gabriel Garcia Marquez

While facing the media, following the dismissal of his boss, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno, by President Rodrigo Duterte, DILG Undersecretary Jesus Hinlo shed tears.
“Inalisan kami ng bodyguards (Our bodyguards had been recalled),” Hinlo said, speaking in Hiligaynon with a shaky voice.
“Mahal namin si secretary (We love the secretary),” retorted Undersecretary Emilie Padilla.
“We only relayed to the president what was happening in the DILG,” hissed Undersecretary John Castriciones.
The three, all lawyers, authored the “confidential” memorandum that spelled out dismissed Sueno’s alleged anomalies.

Confront
When confronted by the president during a cabinet meeting on April 3, Sueno denied the allegations in the letter. Dissatisfied with his response, Duterte sacked the country’s 16th DILG chief.
Ironically, Sueno had previously asked the president to oust the three undersecretaries and ended up the loser in the most celebrated power play in the Duterte administration.
As the president was lowering the axe on Sueno, the three were probably waiting, with bated breath, and suspended terror – “Kami ba o siya ang patatalsikin?”
In the end, “the three musketeers,” all members of the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRD-NECC), prevailed.
What were those tears about, Hinlo? Joy in witnessing Goliath toppled? Or guilt because the allegations brought forward in the “confidential” memo were half-truths, if not, downright hogwash.

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The Iloilo City Council, through a resolution sponsored by City Councilor Joshua Alim, recognized the “extraordinary” achievements of New York City-based Jhett Dizon Tolentino, who hails from Zone 7, Barangay Calumpang, Iloilo City, during the council’s regular session on April 3.
Tolentino is the first Filipino to win a Grammy Award and the second to bag a Tony Award, 22 years after Lea Salonga won for her role in “Miss Saigon.”
Alim, who hails from Sueno’s province of South Cotabato, also recommended Tolentino be considered for “Outstanding Ilonggo.”

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According to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region VI (PDEA-6) Assistant Director Levi Ortiz, there are currently 20 government officials on their latest drug list.
Where are they? Who are they? One of them is reportedly a politician in Pototan, Iloilo connected with a large family of politicians in Ajuy and Estancia.
However, the PDEA is not disclosing named; at least, not yet.
Before forwarding the names to Duterte, Ortiz must see to it that incidents like what happened to Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, who was wrongly accused of being engaged in “narco-politics” and repeatedly shamed by the president, do not happen again./WDJ