“Clearly the Philippines continues to be the destination of illegal drugs”
Among all members of the Cabinet we have not heard from recently, so much so that some people have asked me if she is still in the Cabinet, it’s Tourism Secretary Cristina Garcia Frasco.
She got involved in that “frasco” or rather fiasco when an advertising agency during the launch of the new slogan “LOVE THE PHILIPPINES” used what is called “stock films” to depict Filipino scenes.
Santa Banana, instead of using Filipino stock films, the advertising agency used stock films from Indonesia, Thailand and Switzerland.
My gulay, to think that Frasco paid the agency P49 million for them.
To escape the fiasco, Frasco went on leave, obviously to get away from the heat.
And nothing was heard from that slogan since then.
I raise this issue because for all intents and purposes, Frasco should now be promoting to both foreigners and domestics the slogan, “Love the Philippines.”
What’s to “Love the Philippines”?
I am not allergic to that slogan because there are really many things to love in the Philippines.
Indeed, the beaches, the diving spots, the centuries-old churches and the heritage homes and places, and in particular, Boracay, Palawan and the Bohol resorts are incomparable, the food and the warm smiles and hospitality of the people, and a lot of other things.
But, what bothers me is, why is DOT so silent now when it should be “selling” to the world the Philippines and to Filipinos themselves, coming out with videos and photos over television, social media and websites on what’s to love about the Philippines.
I am beginning to wonder whether or not she is aware of her job description that a Tourism Secretary is nothing more than a salesperson.
Indeed there are things to love in the Philippines, and, as a salesperson, Frasco should now be visiting other countries like the United States, Europe, the Middle East, South America, Australia and New Zealand for their nationals to come to the Philippines and end their visit loving the Philippines.
I’m fully aware that selling the country, especially through television, social media and websites and through brochures and posters, costs a lot of dollars.
But another thing that bothers me is why the DOT Secretary seems to be doing nothing when there are so many things for a DOT Secretary to do to make the world love the Philippines.
Is Frasco aware that she really is DOT secretary? And most importantly, is she fit for that job?
Or did President Marcos Jr. make a mistake in naming a mayor from a lovely municipality called Liloan in Cebu to fill up the big shoes led by former DOT secretaries?
During congressional deliberations on the budget, it was an opportunity for Frasco to ask for budget allotment for her job as salesperson, but she did not.
It’s all for these reasons why I believe the country needs a new tourism secretary before it’s too late, Santa Banana?
Smartmatic again?
There are reports Smartmatic will again enter the bidding for the 2025 midterm elections.
My reaction is, OH NO, not again!
Not after former election chairman Andres Bautista was charged in the United States with bribery and money laundering.
Truly, I have become allergic to Smartmatic handling our national election, particularly with its magical counting machines.
The Bautista case of 2016 was not the only incident where Smartmatic reportedly manipulated the results of the country’s elections.
There had been many other cases of fraud and cheating involving Smartmatic in the past that when the name of Smartmatic came up in the bidding for the 2025 midterm polls, my immediate reaction was here we go again, Santa Banana!
I cannot understand why the Commission on Elections is so in love with Smartmatic.
I can only guess one reason. And I’d rather not say it.
I appeal to the Comelec to immediately disqualify Smartmatic for cases involving election manipulation and cheating.
I refer to the protest of then vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against then Liberal Party candidate Leni Robredo.
I was watching the counting of votes during the 2016 elections when BBM was winning by a good margin but at midnight I dozed off.
But when I woke up at two o’clock in the morning, I got the shock of my life when I saw that the results were in favor of Robredo.
I knew that something was wrong because when the final results were all in, BBM lost by a narrow margin.
Sure enough Marcos Jr. filed a protest before the election tribunal headed by an associate justice of the Supreme Court.
The ponente of the cases went to Associate Justice Marivic Leonen
Oh no, I said to myself.
Sure enough, when the final decision came, Robredo won, and in places where BBM was reported to have won, he lost, Santa Banana!
BBM got his vindication against Robredo in 2022.
And Comelec is at it again, qualifying Smartmatic’s Houdini counting machines.
Illegal drugs
The smuggling of P3.6 billion worth of shabu, which observers say is the biggest haul yet under President Marcos Jr., has boggled the minds of people, including myself, can only confirm the problem of illegal drugs in the Philippines is far from over, after the former President Duterte waged his war in illegal drugs with his “kill, kill, kill” campaign that resulted in many extra-judicial killings.
Now comes the news.
Santa Banana, there is this report a P2.9 billion worth of shabu from Mexico found in a shipment at the Manila International Container Terminal in Islang Puting Bato in Barangay 20 in Tondo was discovered by police operatives!
The illegal drugs were reportedly stuffed in more than a thousand packs of beef jerky wrapped in carbon paper to avoid detection.
Having originated from Mexico, the illegal drugs obviously came from a well-known cartel with obvious connivance with some Customs personnel.
Smuggling of contraband to the Philippines happens in connivance with Customs personnel because smugglers are not stupid enough to smuggle anything unless they have connections with Customs people.
My gulay, with that kind of amount of illegal drugs being smuggled into the country we know that anything can come through the ports.
Smuggling of agricultural products like rice, sugar, tobacco, meat, fish, poultry and onions is bad enough, especially with rice, the main staple of Filipinos by smuggling syndicates reportedly led by Chinese businessmen.
But the smuggling of contraband illegal drugs is enough to justify indicting all smugglers with economic sabotage.
Clearly the Philippines continues to be the destination of illegal drugs.
I cannot count the very many times people try to smuggle illegal drugs, like cocaine, ecstasy and other contraband through the airport at NAIA.
And now , these two attempts to smuggle billions of pesos worth of illegal drugs.
For these reasons I believe there’s need for BBM to continue Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, but not with the method the former President used which resulted in the charge that Duterte committed crimes against humanity, having killed, according to official records some 6,800 people, but unofficial sources claimed the victims were some 28, 0000.
BBM is fully aware drug users and addicts are the victims of illegal drugs so much so that he has taken the campaign on illegal drugs to make victims useful citizens again, and not to kill them.
Death of a friend
I mourn the death of a good friend, businessman Cesar Concio Jr, son of the famous architect, and husband of Charo Santos, former CEO and President of ABS-CBN.
Cesar was a year behind me when I was taking a four-year Bachelor of Arts course at the old Ateneo de Manila at the ruins at Padre Faura.
My wife and I became close friends with Cesar and his first wife Lupita Aquino, the sister of the late Senator Ninoy Aquino.
My wife and I will miss Cesar. But Cesar, be assured that my wife and I will continue praying for you. May the flights of angels sing you to your rest!