Duterte may not approve total closure of Boracay as he considers welfare of small businesses: Roque
President Rodrigo Duterte may not approve the recommendation by the interagency task force to totally close Boracay Island from tourists, Malacanang said on Friday.
In a Facebook interview, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said while Duterte would accept the recommendation of the task force composed of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, Interior and Local Government Officer-in-charge Eduardo A?o and Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo, he would make the final decision.
But Roque said, the last thing he heard from Duterte was he would also consider the welfare of the small resort owners and other businesses who would lose their livelihood.
"Because he (Duterte) knew that if Boracay will be closed, those to be hurt will be the small (businesses), not the big ones," he said.
Roque assured Duterte would "be fair and above all else, I think, he will not act on the basis of political considerations. He will act based on the real concern that Boracay's beauty should be protected in order to be enjoyed by next generation."
In a press conference on Thursday, Cimatu said they would propose to Duterte to totally close Boracay to tourists for one year to fully rehabilitate the world-famous tourist destination.
He has said the closure would be effective one month after Duterte's declaration of a state of calamity in the island.
The total closure will pave the way for the government and other stakeholders enough time of "undisrupted" implementation of the measures to rehabilitate Boracay, he has said.
Roque reiterated Duterte's order to the task force to determine if there were government officials who became negligent in ensuring that environmental laws were followed and if there were, to charge them.
Duterte earlier described Boracay like a "cesspool." Celerina Monte/DMS
