Hurting Erap tells City Hall folk: Brace for change

ESTRADA: Lessons learned

Echoing President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign slogan, reelected Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada told City Hall employees to “brace for change,” amid talk that some of them had sabotaged their operations to tarnish Estrada’s reputation.

In a statement on Saturday, Estrada reiterated a message he gave during Wednesday’s celebration of Manila’s 445th founding anniversary. “As the new administration ushers in change in Malacañang, change, too, is coming to Manila.”

“Stay tuned as these changes unfold,” added Estrada, whose second term starts July 1.

His statement, which many insiders found intriguing, came amid rumors that some personnel tried to derail his projects during his first term by delaying the paper work, charging fees for free medical services, and badmouthing him “to erode Manileños’ trust” in him.

In an earlier interview, Estrada said the recent elections taught him “to not be too trusting” because he learned that people he considered allies had turned against him. But he declined to identify who exactly he was referring to, saying he didn’t need to name names.

Aside from mouthing similar slogans, both Duterte and Estrada project a strongman image and have vowed to get tough on criminals, especially drug lords. Both also favor the return of the death penalty although, unlike Duterte, Estrada is not for hanging as the method of execution.