Dear Editor,  

Our police, firefighters, and jail officers don’t usually make headlines for silent protests. But that’s exactly what’s happening. 

Dear Editor,

What if a mining firm executive heads the agency protecting our forests, or a pharma owner leads a health institute? It sends a loud and clear signal that corporate interests shape the national narrative. That's how alarming it is that a longtime tobacco company executive might soon lead the government's communications office.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla, in an article posted on Business Mirror on June 20, admitted that tourists avoid the Philippines because they "don’t feel safe." It’s disturbing. Instead of calming fears, he poured gasoline on the fire.

Remulla’s statement was a slip and a full-blown faceplant. Would anyone still eat in a restaurant if a manager told customers that the food served gives them food poisoning? Of course not.