Sen.Richard Gordon was the first lawmaker to comment on the deaths of Alexis Tioseco and Nika Bohinc who were found murdered in their home in Quezon City.
“These dastardly acts should be condemned to the highest degree. Instead of welcoming visitors of our country, it is lamentable that they had to be victims of robbery and murder,” he said in a press release, adding that it is bad enough when Filipinos are robbed and killed.
While the crime was indeed dastardly, the senator could have done some research first. While I can’t be sure–not having known the couple personally–I don’t think the two were tourists as such. Mr. Tioseco wasn’t, anyway, judging from his living here for years. At any rate, their deaths have little to do with tourism, if at all.
The press release went on to mention the Tourism Act of 2009 and the fact that Gordon was once Tourism Secretary. Gordon then called on the Philippine National Police to ensure the safety of our tourists, warning that “otherwise, it could affect not only the country’s tourism industry, but also our reputation in the international community.”
No mention of justice or anything like that, just what the murders mean for tourism. Using the deaths of two people to toot your own horn and push your own agenda? That’s a bit like dirty ice cream, senator: cold and cheap. Also, dirty.
Chikatime Closes Down: Blogosphere Dies A Little
#1 by Rickious on September 4, 2009 - 8:51 am
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I think Senator Gordon meant well.
#2 by onetamad on September 4, 2009 - 6:20 pm
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That’s quite possible. Until he had to bring up the tourism bill that he authored, and the fact that he was once tourism secretary.
#3 by Pinoy Buzz on September 5, 2009 - 6:53 am
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Onetamad, I think it is a valid sentiment because news which involves foreigners in the Philippines really do land in international pages and tend to scare tourists away.
More so, when you consider the fact that we had just recently gone through the ICRC workers’ abduction.
#4 by onetamad on September 5, 2009 - 9:00 am
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Possibly. On the other hand, the connection seems a bit forced, don’t you think? Either that, or he’s pretty much just stating the obvious.
Read the press release here: http://www.indolentindio.com/scrapbook/sen-gordons-press-release/
#5 by Filipino Culture on September 10, 2009 - 3:55 am
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A little offtopic: Anyone remember the similar case of a Fil-Am that returned to the Philippines to direct local shows and got killed trying to help the victim of a night club assault in Makati? Same story–a person gets some experience/education abroad, comes back to try and make a difference, gets killed.
Interesting backstory. Doesn’t exactly encourage our overseas brethren to pack up and move back to invest/transfer technology/experiences, does it?