Ah, the grand tradition of declaring someone “persona non grata”—the official equivalent of a sternly worded letter.

When media personalities like Rendon Labador and Rosemarie Tan Pamulaklakin a.k.a. Rosmar face this symbolic exile in the Municipality of Coron, Palawan, it’s a spectacle worth savoring. Disrespectful behavior, negative publicity, incitement to conflict—they’ve ticked all the boxes for a drama-filled decree.

Yet, this ceremonial ousting, devoid of legal teeth, merely fuels the publicity machine. Those cast out aren’t exactly barred from setting foot in their designated no-go zones; instead, they gain another chapter in their saga of notoriety. The officials, in turn, bask in the fleeting spotlight. It’s a win-win charade that keeps the local news cycle humming.

Remember drag artist Pura Luka who was exiled from multiple locales? They might as well have been handed a map of the artist’s next tour dates.