Apologies in advance to those that have already seen this. The...

Apologies in advance to those that have already seen this.  The video is 6 months old - just after they announced the audit - but I just saw it and it shocked me.  I thought I better pass it on for any that haven't seen Gina in action.  

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/16/16/shape-up-or-go-home-lopez-tells-chinese-miners


She obviously has Duterte's strong backing - refer sergsadag's recent post - and seems confident that his support extends so far as to grant her a license to be completely unprofessional and act like a bimbo while representing the government.  Copperroad, you're right, ordinarily it would be hard for a President to defend her actions.

Thing is though, that domestically they will love her - pretty, straight talking, sticking it up the Chinese and standing up for the peasant's environment while appealing to the Filipino's love of melodrama in her delivery.   

I was thinking for a minute that maybe with all the current global political madness, this is the new normal ?

More likely imo, her rhetoric and the recent closures are part of a planned strategy to demonstrate who's boss when it comes to negotiating the conditions on re-opening - perhaps Duterte thinks the $852m in royalties could be increased as well as being seen by the masses to be cleaning up the environment.