Forgotten promise?

A controversial sports official appears to have already forgotten his promise to mend fences with members of the media.

In fact, during a media availability session last week, this official tried his best not to interact with reporters, most of whom are harboring ill feelings over the way he is making decisions that greatly affect his leadership of his federation.

The night ended and no pleasantries were exchanged.

With the way things are going, it appears that the relationship between this sports official and the working press has completely gone south.

Shallow leadership

A mining veteran has chided Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and questioned the motivation for his recent pronouncements on the industry that revealed his lack of cohesive direction and consistency in his leadership approach.

During a public hearing of the Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change Subcommittee, Escudero called for stricter regulations on mining operations and emphasized the need to maximize the industry’s economic contributions.

A closer examination of his rhetoric, actions, and broader political record exposes a pattern of inconsistency and the lack of a clear, actionable vision — which undermine his effectiveness as the leader of the Senate.

Escudero’s criticism of the mining sector’s paltry 0.71-percent contribution to the GDP and its underutilization of exploration permits (EP) and mineral production sharing agreements (MPSA) is rooted in a valid observation: the Philippines, despite its vast mineral wealth, lags far behind other resource-rich nations where mining contributes 13 to 18 percent to GDP. His clickbait remark that “we are a rich country pretending to be poor” captures the paradox of the nation’s economic potential.

He aligns himself with the executive branch’s goal to elevate mining’s GDP share to at least two percent, which raises questions about the originality and depth of his agenda.

Is Escudero merely echoing the administration’s line, or does he have a distinct legislative strategy to achieve this target?

Senate Resolution 1310 identifies the problem but offers no concrete solutions beyond calling out inactive permits — a move that feels more performative than substantive.

Escudero may be remembered for oscillating between populist rhetoric and pragmatic posturing, often tailoring his stance to the political winds rather than a fixed ideology.

His criticism of companies hoarding unused mining permits, while valid, lacks teeth without a clear policy proposal.

He lambasts these firms for blocking “more capable investors,” yet stops short of outlining how he would incentivize development or penalize inaction. This vagueness is frustrating given his position as Senate President, where he wields significant influence to shape legislation.

Instead of leveraging his authority to draft a robust framework — say, a bill mandating timelines for permit utilization or revamping the Mining Act — he opts for broad strokes and rhetorical flourishes.

It’s a classic Escudero move: identify a problem, garner attention, but leave the heavy lifting to others.