Faces of the News: Ramon Lopez

There is the world we live in, and there is the world of Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez. Or at least that’s the impression he left with many people this week after he made remarks that seemed to underline his lack of regard for the poor and less privileged.

At one point, he suggested to shut down food plants with extra inventory — during a health crisis when people are alarmed by a possible scarcity of food supply.

He also advised workers who live in the provinces to consider renting in Metro Manila. Informal vendors who can’t get in because of the lockdown should sell their wares in the provinces.

And before we forget, he also announced malls would be closed even without any official document to back him up and without a safety net for contractual workers who would be displaced by the move.

Some critics pounced at the chance to needle the former chief executive of RFM Corp. “It’s a difficult time for everyone,” one critic said, “maybe if we look deep inside, we’d realize he had good intentions. After all, it’s not his fault not everyone lives in the wonderful world of Ramon Lopez.”