Ah, the Philippines, where the news is as flavorful as its adobo.

In a plot twist worthy of a telenovela, documents seized from a POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, allegedly show former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque financing a European jaunt for Mr. Supranational Philippines 2016 as a “companion.” The scandalous revelation of this high-flying bromance has some clutching their pearls and others waving it off with a nonchalant “He wasn’t in office in 2023, so who cares?”

Yet, the plot thickens with another document appointing this handsome globetrotter as Roque’s Executive Assistant in 2021. Suddenly, taxpayer wallets feel a little lighter, and eyebrows arch in unison across the archipelago. While some argue for privacy, others demand to know if their hard-earned pesos were spent appropriately and in accordance with law.

After all, it’s not just about this trip; it’s about some party favors that preceded it, and maybe, other trips while Roque was in government.