Jimmy Bondoc, an official of the government-run Philippine Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), is one of the organizers of a rally that called for the ouster of Vice President Leni Robredo.
In an interview, Bondoc, the officer-in-charge of Pagcor’s Entertainment Department, said he’s one of the organizers of the gathering dubbed as “Palit Bise.”
It was initiated by the Davao movement or the Duterte Alliance Volunteers Artists Organization movement.
“We are doing this as our little part in cleansing the ranks of the government. And we don’t mean just the VP (but) she represents it. It also means the bad appointees, the scalawag police, all that. We want the surrounding, the peripheries of the president to be cleansed,” Bondoc said.
Before getting him to speak to this reporter, Bondoc insisted that Inquirer should make a vow that he would be given “a fair interview.”
“Teka, sige, turn it on. What’s your name?” Bondoc said.
“Okay, are you rolling? I just want your words that you will be fair. Okay? That means you will be a fair interview (sic). Okay?” he added.
When told that he didn’t have to ask that, Bondoc butted in and insisted: “Do I have it?”
After the interview, Bondoc said he’s been saying that to all reporters. “Wag ka ma-offend sa sinabi ko kanina, ha? I say that to all reporters.”
During the interview, Bondoc explained that he created the hashtag and rally’s theme #PalitBise.
Asked why it’s only “Palit Bise” when the target of the rally was not Robredo alone, Bondoc said: “It is obviously, right now, from our perspective, betrayal of public trust.”
“To us, palit bise can mean three things. Some are saying palit bise means to impeach, some people say to resign. Some people say to change VP, meaning magbago kayo VP something like that. Whatever they choose among the options, we’re all united by one fact that the Vice President has not done [her] job in strengthening the administration.”
Robredo belongs to the political opposition.
By strengthening the administration, Bondoc said “people like the Vice President or the appointees should report to the police not to the international platform.” He was referring to the killings of drug suspects.
‘Contentious’
Bondoc said he couldn’t give a crowd estimate.
“I know it’s very contentious but we have sincere demographic. Hindi bayad itong mga ito. Lahat yan ay volunteer,” Bondoc said.
The amount spent for the concert was P1 million. The Pagcor official said they were able to raise P2 million through crowd funding. But only half of it was spent.
“Our promise is let’s use the one million first. And then if we need future funding for future events, that will be spent for future events. Ako ang in charge sa pera na yan. I’ve given them my word and I give public my word that that money will not be misspent,” Bondoc said.