After Typhoon Pedring kicked Manila’s ass earlier this week, the Department of Public Works and Highways was quick to get out in the field and check damage to the sea wall along Roxas Boulevard. They were also apparently quick to fire up their Photoshop for a sloppily-done PR photo showing their officials at the site.

We cannot blame them, however. These are modern times, and sometimes pictures need to be touched up a little. The photo was, after all, supposed to show DPWH officials at work. One of them apparently did not get the memo and let his girlfriend tag along for a romantic date along Manila Bay.

The DPWH was quick to pull down the picture once the public got wind of the attempt to cover up the affair, however, and the DPWH official has since broken things off with his girlfriend. The decision came after an emergency meeting at a DPWH secret base built during Martial Law, when then President Ferdinand Marcos feared a Chinese Communist takeover of the Philippines.

The DPWH base, since removed from all maps, was meant as a remote nerve center for the government should Malacanang ever fall. A source at the DPWH sent us this leaked photo of the meeting:

Indolent reader Abner sends us this dispatch from the frontlines:

Felicity Merriman gives our Public Works officials an unintentionally creepy vibe

[UPDATE: My God. I wish I could photoshop myself back in time. We saw the pic and had a photoshopped image ready a day before that other dude blogged about it. Ah, well. Nothing ventured, nothing at all. ]

 

 

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Also, a fun exploitable photo for Indolent readers!

Where will our Public Works officials turn up next? Send us your shopped pics at indolentry at indolentindio dot com or onetamad at indolentindio dot com!

(Thx, M and the Indolent Photoshop Department!)