Is eating in a posh restaurant really big a crime for a Philippine President? Personally, there's really nothing wrong with the President eating in some high-end food places in the United States. She's a President for crying out loud!
For me, I'd say that she's just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Wrong place: All eyes are with the President these days. With tons of controversies hounding her and her "beloved" husband, anything that involves big money, lavish spending and socializing ires the Filipino populace. Taking off from the Hello Garci, ZTE Broadband Deal, Jose Pidal, and all other controversies involving money, another one like spending millions of pesos in a high-end New York restaurant is a big hit among rumor mongers and investigative journalists. This is a simple case of piling on.
Wrong Time: We are now in the crossroads of recession. Millions of Filipinos go hungrier. Jobs are harder to find. Development was slower. Could this have been Erap during his "mabango" years, the media would have just disregarded the news. If it was Fidel Ramos during the "Tiger Economy" years, no one would have highlighted this incident. But no. She is now in a situation where the Philippines is not in a very good state. But despite that, she and her cabinet were able to eat out. Eat with a million-buck bill. The people will see the irony of it all: People get hungrier while the President has a $2,000-meal on her plate.
It seems like the media and people is in close watch. Every action is one big spectacle. Every move (especiall the bad ones) is front-page material. The Administration needs to act more carefully especially towards the end of the term.
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