THE members of the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives drew the ire of many when they filed a resolution asking the Duterte administration to suspend the rehabilitation of Manila Bay. Cited as the main reason is that the rehabilitation is only a pretext for eventual massive reclamation projects which, they said, will benefit Dennis Uy — who in a Senate hearing admitted to being a personal friend of the President — even as it will displace thousands of poor informal settlers. In response, Malacañang through presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo defended the planned reclamation project by citing its economic benefits and the jobs that it will generate.