'Smirking' Lao gets his comeuppance; Drilon gets his sweet schadenfreude

THE very little regard that former president Rodrigo Duterte had for the other branches of government, the Constitution, and other vital state institutions during his term was unprecedented in the history of the Philippine presidency. His utter contempt was passed on to those below him: Cabinet members and sub-Cabinet office holders, presidential factotums, and non-office holders who moved in his circle.

Former senator Franklin Drilon was painful to watch during the Senate hearings on the Pharmally scandal, which involved the squandering of more than P40 billion in hard-earned taxpayers' money at the height of the coronavirus pandemic by recklessly purchasing overpriced, expired and substandard personal protective equipment and related items. Mr. Drilon, who held three Cabinet posts — labor secretary, justice chief and executive secretary — before becoming a senator, sadly took note of the permanent smirk on the face of one of those summoned to shed light on the scam: Lloyd Christopher Lao, a Budget undersecretary who was in charge of the over P40 billion in purchases of Covid-related gear.