“Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man, pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep, and we’re tired of hearing promises that we know they’ll never keep.” –Ray Davies

A former municipal and provincial official (who happens to be a good friend of mine) was lucky enough to land a position with the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and is now super rich. I have known him since before he entered politics and he was not rich. Now, the simple man who had a lucky stint in public service is a multi-millionaire—he learned “how to earn more than what you get in the payroll” without having to work like a slave.
He was a promising “promdi” until being swallowed up by the system; a commonality for those given opportunities to work in government only to dip his hand in the cookie jar.
According to recent reports, he is currently under investigation by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission.
I will not be surprised if I receive an email from him in order to explain his side and claiming to be the victim of “intrigues and jealousy” and how critics are out to “destroy” his reputation.

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The 72-hour closure of Boracay’s shoreline last Wednesday after a female tourist allowed her child to defecate in the water was an overreaction. In addition, the decision by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu to have Boracay Inter-agency Task Force General Manager Natividad Bernardino isolate the area was theatrics.
Authorities could have just cleaned up the mess without announcing it to the world, despite the incident being caught on video and going viral on social media.
These wild reactions on exacerbate the negative impact on Boracay’s tourism industry.
World class beaches are not spared from beachgoers using the waters as a toilet, especially during sunset. It happens every now and then and there are municipal ordinances in place for local authorities to throw the book at violators.
It would be best for the Department of Tourism and DENR to solve such matters silently. If publicity from social media is cruel, publicity in the mass media will leave a bad taste in the mouth.

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Alex P. Vidal, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo./WDJ