Duterte’s answer to questions on Boracay

The resort owners and workers and residents of Boracay are angry and confused.

The President last week made official his rantings about Boracay and ordered it’s closure for rehabilitation for six months.

In his conference April 9 at the Davao International Airport before he took off for Boao, China, Duterte was asked by Philippine Star’s Edith Regalado what’s his masterplan for the island, with a beach considered one of the best in the world.

His answer: “In the meantime, there is no plan. My order was to clean it up. So mag-clean, sarado, there is one way in and one way out….

“But master plan wala akong master plan diyan, linisin ko muna iyan kasi agricultural iyan. So maybe after that, I’ll give the farmers—i-land reform ko na iyan mas mabuti pa. I’ll tell you now. I-land reform ko lahat iyan then I’ll give it to the farmers. Me, I’ll give them the tractors, iyong ano—agricultural eh. Eh ‘di ibigay ko muna sa—bago ano iyang—well sabihin ninyo, how about the business? Well, I’m sorry but that is the law. The law says it is forestal/agricultural. Why would I deviate from that? Do I have a good reason to do the what? What? Mga casino?

Who owns the casino? Hotels? Big ones. Who owns them? Eh mga mayaman pati iyong mga dayo. Eh agricultural man kaya iyan, eh ‘di ibigay ko sa farmers….

“You want to know now? I’m going to read the announcement. It is going to be a land reform area for the Filipinos. Now, if they want to build something there, they can build in a floating—unahin ko iyon, lilinisin ko lang naman, ibalik ko sa Filipino iyong lupa nila.

Klaro? Here’s some more:

“Now if you are asking of a financial help, we are—I’m going to sign the proclamation of calamity and we can make available about 2 billion of assistance. But these are only for the poor Filipinos. I will not spend any single centavo for those inns there, hotel owners or motels. At iyong magagandang bahay, do not expect me to pay anything. That money is only intended for the Filipino. Iyong mga foreigners neither reparations or remunerations. Eh sila iyong pumasok diyan, they should know na bawal. Iyong P2 billion diyan and the other help of—each department has its own contingency plan. So mayroon magtulungan kami.”

Those who complain that they cannot make head or tails of the President’s rantings, I’ll translate it in five words: Bahala kayo sa buhay niyo.