By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte warned Boracay business owners that they will face sedition charges if they will not cooperate with the government’s plan to rehabilitate the popular island destination.
Duterte made the statement after announcing that he will place Boracay under a state of calamity in order to clean up the popular beach island which the President said has turned into a cesspool.
“Sa Boracay, suplado ‘yung mga tao, ayaw mag-cooperate,” Duterte said in his speech in Tarlac City Wednesday.
According to the President, there are now three issues hounding the popular beach islands, aside from the environmental laws violations, that now require government intervention – public health, public interest, and law and order.
Duterte, in a speech in Pampanga late Wednesday, also said that he decided to act on Boracay because of a complaint signed by three travel agencies, complaining about the “utter neglect of maintaining the quality of everything there.”
“They do not want to move there unless they are being prodded by government or they try to prevent government from doing its duty. So it becomes an issue now of enforcing the law,” he said.
Duterte, meanwhile, warned other local government units to exhaust all means to not allow their tourist spots to end up like Boracay.
“Kung meron kayo, do not allow it to – it’s very important that we talk now – do not allow it to deteriorate, sayang, eh. Then we have to go in again and to clean,” Duterte appealed.
The President also reiterated his appeal to the courts to not issue a temporary restraining order that will make it difficult for the government to operate on Boracay.
“If you decide to issue a TRO, stopping us, think. Think a thousand times. It’s either I would not believe you or I will put you to task for going against what is good for the people in this government,” added Duterte.
