A probinsyano that I am, I didn’t know that there is a Raffles Hotel in Makati. My friend told me that it’s a five star hotel and caters mostly to “Very Important Persons”.
Of late there has been whispers about the presence of some foreign guests who appears to be extremely important visitors as they are accorded extra special treatment as though they are dignitaries of note.
While having coffee at Dusit Hotel not far from Raffles my friend intimated to me that the “tourists” have been around for over a month and that they move around with security details which he suspects are military personnel.
What is peculiar about these special guests is that they too seem to be also billeted in Midas Hotel in Roxas Boulevard. I knew that this was owned by Christmas crooner Jose Mari Chan who is a sugar magnate. What I did not know was that he sold the hotel to Sunwest Group headed by Elizaldy Co who adopted its current name.
Co of course is the congressman from Bicol and has been the current talk of the town for acquiring a brand new chopper and executive jet at the height of Typhoon Kristine.
Some people can be lucky and famous. I don’t know if Congressman Elizaldy Co, the bosom friend of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, has a namesake. I googled Sunwest Group and found out that it is a holding firm from Bicol so Midas Hotel is indeed his.
But it is strange why these tourists who had prime accommodation in Raffles Makati are also billeted in Midas. With a retinue of military security and chauffeur-driven vehicles it will take only about 30 minutes to get to Roxas Blvd.
Their extended stay and some kind of special treatment invited suspicion from people, my friend included. When not in meeting in Midas, they are seen shopping with Filipino escorts who are quick to pay for the bills.
Some Marites cannot help but speculate that the “tourists” might be members of ICC and their staff nosing around for additional pieces of evidence (?). I think they must have been stunned to find Philippines has actually a functioning judiciary and that Filipinos adore Past President Rodrigo Duterte.
But wait, if these people are really from ICC their stay in luxurious hotels are definitely a scandalous matter. This naturally elicits the suspicion that some political characters are writing off their luxurious stay including the special treatment that they relish during their stay.
If their stay is supposed to be covert, their extended stay bathe in lavish luxury suggests who their patrons are. The military security details, drivers, escorts and special accommodations can only be made possible by government authority and political characters who had been waging incessant attacks against Duterte. Their stay in Midas Hotel offers a clue.
But then I must admit that my informer is merely speculating. Nevertheless the oddity invites curiosity. And am curious too.
