SCUTTLEBUTT

Palace’s toxicity source

A certain plantilla employee in the communications department of a government agency has earned a reputation of being quick to point fingers, particularly at the contract of service (CoS) staff. This individual has a knack for deflecting blame when things go wrong, often making the more junior staff the scapegoats.

Insiders reveal this employee has a history of blaming a former CoS employee for errors in speech transcripts, even when she should be sharing the blame for the mistakes. The timid ex-staff member often bore the brunt of the criticism, unable to defend himself.

“She’s the queen of blame-shifting. Anytime something goes wrong, she’s quick to pin it on the CoS staff. It’s like they’re always at fault, no matter what,” shared a disgruntled ex-colleague.

“She’s got a thick skin when it comes to her errors,” another insider said. “It’s almost like she has Teflon coating; nothing sticks.”

One particularly egregious incident involved a mix-up between “cesspool” and “zestpool” in a speech transcript. The plantilla employee was ready to pin the blame on the timid CoS staffer, only to be thwarted when the employee’s supervisor revealed the truth. It turned out the error had originated with the bully.

Another instance involved the former president talking about “PC Hill,” a location in Cotabato City. The timid ex-colleague had placed “[unclear]” in the transcript since he was not familiar with the term, but a colleague favored by the plantilla employee added the erroneous word. Despite this, the blame was placed solely on the timid employee.

A source privy to the situation commented, “It’s always easier to target those who can’t fight back. This person has created a toxic work environment where fear and blame reign supreme.” This behavior has reportedly caused CoS employees to feel unfairly targeted and demoralized.

Now that the current administration has taken office and the President is delivering clearer speeches, the plantilla employee has supposedly found a way to avoid the office altogether. This official has been enjoying a super extended leave after giving birth, leaving the heavy lifting to her hardworking colleagues.

“This person is taking advantage of the situation, while the rest of the team is picking up the slack,” the colleague said. “It’s unfair to the rest of the team,” another insider said. “While everyone else is working hard, this person is taking advantage of the situation.”

Manila Bay doomsday?

Environmental groups have disputed the Philippine Coast Guard’s claim that the recent oil spill that involved three tankers off Bataan has been contained, asserting the country may be facing its biggest ecological disaster yet.

After a visit to Cavite communities, the ecology advocates assessed that those living in coastal communities ringing Manila Bay face economic dislocation.

Last year, the Marcos administration faced its “first environmental disaster” after the tanker MT Princess Empress carrying 900,000 liters of oil sank in the Verde Island Passage (VIP), resulting in estimated damages of P41.2 billion. Mainly affected were Batangas and Mindoro residents.

In the recent incident, the MT Terra Nova was carrying 1.4-million liters of industrial fuel oil when it sank during the onslaught of super typhoon “Carina.” Another vessel sank while still another tanker was beached in Mariveles, Bataan, which may add to the toxic fuel released on Manila Bay.

The coastal areas of Cavite, a province still reeling from the effects of Carina, are facing a bigger scare due to the oil spill. Fisherfolk communities report that fishing is currently prohibited, with fines imposed on those caught violating the ban.

“Wala naman kaming ibang inaasahan kundi sa dagat lang. Hindi rin kami makapalaot, pag lumaot naman kami, huhulihin. Pag nahuli, magpipiyansa ka pa, magmumulta. Paano naman kami? (We don’t have any other sources of livelihood other than fishing. We are prohibited from sailing. If we insist on it, we are fined when caught. What will happen to us?),” said Rodelio Himaya, 59, a fisherman from Barangay Bancaan, Naic, Cavite.

The government must act quickly and resolutely to stop the looming catastrophe.