By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) is asking for a budget of P2.29 billion for 2023. That’s a significant amount relative to the current fiscal space.
But don’t expect other departments to question this proposed budget for VP Sara Duterte’s office since she’s obviously a priority of President Marcos, to whom he owes much of his election victory.
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Marcos himself is asking for a budget of P9 billion for next year. Reading through the proposal, the President is earmarking P893 million for his foreign trips and P4.5 billion in confidential funds.
That’s how much a developing country such as ours, nursing an economic crisis through this pandemic, is bankrolling the activities of our President. That’s on top of the P12.89 trillion we taxpayers are saddled with in debt servicing.
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Administration Senator JV Ejercito has slammed officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) of the past six years for the worsening of agricultural smuggling in the country.
He blames them for turning a blind eye to the problem, most likely for a “costly” consideration and suggests that they be charged.
Let’s see where this administration goes. If it is truly faithful to the interests of the Filipino people, then Marcos – being Agriculture Secretary – should have the appetite to file charges against his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte’s erring appointees in these agencies.
Or will “unity” still be BBM’s battlecry?
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I was at Okada Manila for five straight days, during which a new dramatic turn of events took place – the retake of control of the management of Asia’s largest resort casino hotel by the ousted board led by Hajime Tokuda. As such, Byron Yip is reinstated as president and COO of Tiger Resort Leisure and Entertainment Inc. (TRLEI), which operates Okada Manila.
Kazuo Okada’s constituted board remains, but his appointed representative Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco, who in turn installed Dindo Espeleta to run the luxury hotel, was ordered by PAGCOR to cease and desist from controlling its operations.
I’d give my props to Okada Manila for continuing its services amid these internal management struggles. But I’m hard-pressed to say their parking access into the hotel last Friday was a complete nightmare with only one gate open (Pearl Wing), nearly a kilometer’s walk away from where delegates to our Lions Club event were parked.
Hmmm… paranoid of a double takeover???
If I hadn’t demanded a golf cart service from our spot at the Coral Wing basement, our well-dressed Lions delegates – many of whom are in their 24-karat ages – would have wheezed their way to a heart attack before getting to the venue proper 15 minutes late.
For a hotel with “two managements” fighting for control, it’s sad that neither of them at Okada Manila offered our club or the guests that day anything close to an apology.
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