Much ado about nothing

"When we see people marching on the streets and protesting, that is the time President Duterte should start worrying."

That controversy over the alleged matrix that involves journalists and lawyers in a supposed plan to oust the President is a case of much ado about nothing.

In the first place, I cannot believe that a group of journalists and lawyers can destabilize an administration just like that.

They may have been critical of the Duterte administration and posted stories supporting their views, but that is all they can do.

When we see people marching on the streets and protesting, that is the time President Duterte should start worrying.

But there is nobody marching. The military and the police are not restive. The President's popularity is not declining. So what is the purpose of that matrix?

It's clear that the purpose is to show that all the criticism is simply to destabilize the government. As such, the so-called expose achieves nothing!

The fact that disturbed me was that a newspaper allowed itself to be used by the Palace to demonize its critics.

I really don't care which side of the political fence the journalists are on. But why did a newspaper allowed itself to be used?

I cannot believe that just because it was President Duterte who fed that matrix to the newspaper, it should already be taken as gospel truth. I can sympathize with the newspaper's managing editor who was told to resign after questioning the publication of the story without verification.

I don't want to get embroiled in the intramurals of another newspaper, but I know that editors should present both sides of the story.

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Tingog first nominee Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, the wife of Leyte First District candidate Martin Romualdez, has renewed her appeal to the Senate to give priority to the passage of the Department of Disaster Resilience when Congress resumes session on May 20.

I agree. Given how earthquakes are happening back to back all over the country, we need this measure urgently. And there will be flooding, mudslides, and other disasters. This is the new normal.

I have been advocating the creation of such a department focusing on rescue, relief and rehabilitation. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council may have been devolved, but the frequency of disasters happening demands unity of command and a science-based approach, Romualdez said.

The new department would also provide leadership in the continuous development of strategic and systematic approaches to mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, recovery and rehabilitation.

Romualdez knows whereof she speaks because she is from Tacloban, one of the places hit the hardest by Yolanda in 2013.

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I could not believe it when I heard President Duterte say that from now on, the government will not spend a single centavo on the rehabilitation of Marawi City. These efforts will now be left to affluent residents and businessmen.

Santa Banana, the question may be asked: What caused the destruction of Marawi City in the first place, if not the incessant bombing and strafing by government planes in an effort to flush out the IS-inspired Maute group that laid siege on the city for five months?

Isn't that enough reason for the government to rehabilitate Marawi City using government funds?

I cannot find any justification for the affluent residents and businessmen of Marawi City to bear the ultimate burden of rehabilitating the city when it was government in the first place that was responsible for its total destruction.

I wonder—how will the residents of Marawi, rich or poor, take this statement of the President?

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The way I see it, there are three reasons why poll surveys say administration candidates are likely to dominate the May 13 polls.

First, most voters write down names on name recall.This is why reelectionists, those who were previously in the Senate and those with prominent last names are likely to win. “Masa” voters normally vote for six or seven names, so those who are well-known have the distinct advantage. This is why I still believe Juan Ponce Enrile could still win.

Second, many in the opposition slate are newbies. Third, the opposition has no leader.

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I join many in congratulating Charlie Agatep, founder, chairman and CEO of Grupo Agatep. He was named best PR Practitioner in Asean. The announcement was made at the Hilton Kuching in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The award was given to Agatep for his outstanding achievements as for five decades and for his passion to continuously inspire next generations of PR professionals.

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