Duterte: Moral obligation, not financial interest behind Boracay cleanup

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday reiterated that he does not have any financial interest in the rehabilitation of the popular tourist island of Boracay amid allegations that business owners would benefit after its six-month shutdown.

Duterte said that he would not allow gambling to take root on Boracay island, which was closed to tourism after the chief executive declared it a "cesspool" because of  the environmental degradation it suffered after years of unabated commercial and tourist development.

"We don't have any interest there. Do not ever believe this s**t. They weave a lot of tales about giving it to big business. I will not allow gambling. I will not even give it to big business," Duterte said during a speech during the anniversary celeberation of the Environment department.

Review of ownership claims

Duterte vowed to return the island to "its rightful owner" and said that he would establish a panel which would examine claims of ownership of the popular tourist destination.

"Allow government to clean it, and after that I will return Boracay to its rightful owner," he said.

"Now the problem is how to determine who owns what. That's the problem now. So there has to be a committee to be fair to everybody. From the local government then from the origins of any title there," he added. 

Duterte said the island of Boracay has never been open to any "commercial exploitation" and remains forestal and agricultural. He said no president has declared the tourist destination as a commercial area. 

"Let us determine first who owns the place. If there is any title, and if it gets to be muddy to really dwell into it and question everything, well, I leave it to the local governments to decide or to the congressman," the president said. 

Duterte maintained that the cleaning of Boracay is a "moral obligation" because the island is being proclaimed as a "crown jewel" of Philippine tourist destinations.

"We are proud of it. So we have to clean it. We banner it throughout the world, 'Go to Boracay,” and it’s full of s***,'" he said.

In April, Boracay's world-famous beaches sat empty as local and national government officies closed the island in an effort to save it from ruin.

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The president, weeks before the closure, was angered by a video showing black sewage pouring into the sea.

The closure affected the livelihood of more than 30,000 people who were relied on the island's tourism livelihood, and government assistance has been at best spotty.

Aside from sewage problem, the island also suffered from unregulated construction, with structures being erected in areas protected by environmental laws.

Duterte early last month declared the island a land reform area, in consonance with a decree released by former President Gloria Arroyo declaring the island a forest and agriculture piece of land.

He reiterated this declaration on Wednesday but clarified that only the area behind the beach strip would be subjected to the country's land reform laws.

Duterte said that he would leave to Congress if it would declare the beachfront a commercial area.

"[M]y stand is that Boracay has never been opened to any commercial exploitation," Duterte said on Wednesday.

"Boracay is a small place. If you give Boracay an overload of humanity for sure it cannot handle it," the chief executive said. —? with Alexis Romero and Job Manahan