Not demure, not mindful

The Maharlika billionaire’s club to which Ferdinand Marcos Junior belongs can use lessons on public sensitivity in this developing country.

BBM himself may need to carefully read Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Specifically, the provisions on accepting favors or gifts.

Over the weekend, Vice President Sara Duterte’s funding travails were shunted aside by news – confirmed by Malacañang – that BBM “spent his birthday as just another busy day in the office… After a tiring day filled with official engagements, he attended a party thrown by his old friends at a hotel in Pasay, and to his surprise and appreciation, music was provided by Duran Duran.”

It’s a safe bet that the sponsors of this elite gathering (only about 80 people were reportedly invited) will dismiss it as much ado over nothing. It was reportedly staged “at no cost to the government.” But what could be the return on investment for the sponsors?

The Formula One-loving, jet-setting kith and kin of BBM will never understand why this kind of private entertainment will draw ire and resentment in a country where the food budget threshold is set at P21 per meal.

“Very demure, very mindful” was a common sarcastic comment to the exclusive soiree – which might be lost to the Boomer BBM. “Wild boys forever” was another comment, referring to one of the hits of Duran Duran.

You’d think BBM and his cronies would have learned something from his ride by state-funded presidential helicopter to skip the heavy traffic and be on time for the Coldplay concert at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan last January.

And you’d think some adults in the room would have been less tone-deaf, considering that the administration is pounding on ally-turned-arch-foe VP Sara for her supposed profligate spending.

*      *      *

Duran Duran jetted into town as the Duterte camp was hitting back at the lifestyles of the uber-rich in the administration, citing the reported purchase of Forbes Park real estate by presidential relatives as well as Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo’s seeming predilection for expensive Hermes bags. Not demure, not mindful, and not even cutesy like Alice Guo.

People who like flashing genuine Hermes should be sensitive to the fact that ownership of these items (a brand-new Birkin bag typically costs over P1 million) can draw resentment and disgust among the multitudes – and not just in the Philippines – whose encounters with Hermes products are limited to songs such as Shaboozey’s top hit “A Bar Song” (My baby want a Birkin, she’s been telling me all night long…)

The song has been No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks now. Let’s hope Shaboozey won’t be flown in from the US for another private performance for the current naghaharing uri.

British pop rock group Duran Duran, mega popular in the ’80s, is being asked by netizens to disclose the band’s fee for the private concert at the Marriott, and who footed the bill.

*      *      *

In the latest Social Weather Stations survey, which showed BBM enjoying an improvement in his satisfaction rating, he got net negative scores in two areas: fighting inflation and corruption.

Perhaps because of his upbringing, the only son of “FM” and Imeldific seems to have difficulty drawing the line between public and personal property.

BBM sees nothing wrong with his officials using a private jet allegedly provided for free by someone outside government to personally pick up and escort Alice Guo back to Manila.

Possibly emboldened by BBM’s comments on the issue, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos again jetted to the UAE last week, this time to pick up an accused sex offender arrested by Dubai authorities. Why is the secretary of the interior personally traipsing around the planet to escort crime suspects? Don’t we have enough government officials and personnel from multiple agencies, especially in Dubai, to do the job?

These PR stunts can only give the Duterte camp ammunition for hitting back at the administration when it goes after Vice President Sara Duterte over her office fund utilization.

*      *      *

Thanks to the warfare between the current and former ruling clans, we’re seeing how public officials are (mis)using our money.

Both sides are also exposing each other’s penchant for living it up, and raising questions on whether it’s at taxpayers’ expense.

VP Sara, who doesn’t know (or doesn’t care) about the admonition to choose one’s enemies, is griping that she is being unfairly targeted for minute budget scrutiny.

Lawmakers actually subject to that kind of scrutiny the budget proposals of other government agencies. But the agency heads aren’t the VP, and the deliberations are usually unexciting, without the fiery exchanges that we have seen recently at the House appropriations committee.

Traditionally, the only agencies exempted from such detailed scrutiny – a virtual free pass extended as a matter of courtesy – are the Office of the President and the Office of the Vice President.

The OVP lost the free pass after VP Sara and her relatives tangled with the House of Representatives, particularly Speaker Martin Romualdez and Quimbo.

A good way to strike back at “pork”-hungry lawmakers is to also expose to the public the many creative ways by which they use people’s money for personal or partisan purposes.

It’s unclear though if the VP has the budget-crunching savvy of former senator Panfilo Lacson, who continues to monitor the annual budget process.

There’s also the risk, in case VP Sara does have Lacson’s capabilities as a government budgeting watchdog, that the move may boomerang, with excesses or fund misuse exposed not only in the OVP, but also in the offices of her brothers, Davao City Mayor Baste and Congressman Paolo.

VP Sara can’t lead any legal challenge, for example, to epal politicians taking personal credit for the AICS. The Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations is supposed to be administered chiefly by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), with politicians prohibited from handing out the aid.

AICS provides DSWD aid for “KBL” or kasal, binyag, libing – weddings, baptisms and funerals – plus health care aid through the Malasakit Centers and emergency ayuda during natural calamities.

There’s also the controversial Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged /Displaced Workers, with epal politicians also showing up at TUPAD events of the Department of Labor and Employment.

VP Sara herself has been shown at AICS distribution events together with her bestie and presidential ate, Sen. Imee Marcos.

Still, with the latest developments, the VP may not have to dig too hard for dirt on her political foes.