Marvelous vs. Mediocre: Davao’s Desperate Bid to Snuff Camilo’s Shine

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — July 17, 2025

The Great Youth Leader Purge: A Bureaucratic Circus

Oh, what a glorious farce the Davao City Council has unleashed! A resolution so steeped in spineless bureaucracy it could star in a tragicomedy titled “How to Sabotage Your Own Credibility.”

In January 2025, they draped Marvelous Dainty Camilo in laurels, celebrating his role as a Philippine Youth Ambassador of Goodwill for the 48th Ship for Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Program (SSEAYP). This 28-year-old dynamo, elected Overall Discussion Group Leader among 168 ASEAN and Japanese delegates, brought global pride to Davao.

By June, the same council, with the finesse of a toddler wielding a sledgehammer, revoked their commendation, citing “verified reports” of misconduct so vague they might as well have accused him of kidnapping the sun. Evidence? Due process? Ha! Who needs those when you’ve got a political axe to grind?

The irony is richer than Davao’s durian harvest. A council, supposedly the cheerleader for youth via the Sangguniang Kabataan, punishes a young leader for the crime of actually leading. Camilo’s resume sparkles: environmental advocacy, marine conservation with the Sama-Bajau, and a Writ of Kalikasan petition to save coral reefs. The council’s counter? A resolution so flimsy it could blow away in a light breeze.

Camilo’s response is a verbal guillotine: “You can revoke your resolution, but you can’t revoke my rights—or my record of service.” Touché, Marvelous. You’ve outwitted a council too busy tripping over their own egos.

Legal Buffoonery: The Council’s Gavel-Waving Tantrum

Let’s carve up the council’s legal charade with the precision it deserves—none. They brandish Republic Act No. 10742 (SK Reform Act) and Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of Conduct for Public Officials) like a child waving a toy wand, claiming Camilo’s “ethical lapses” justify their vendetta.

One glaring hitch: Camilo isn’t a public official. He’s a volunteer on the Local Youth Development Council, unpaid, unelected, and as far from RA 6713’s scope as Pluto is from the sun. RA 10742? It governs SK officials, not LYDC advisers. This isn’t law; it’s legal cosplay.

The resolution’s verbiage is a masterpiece of obfuscation: “Actions demonstrably inconsistent with the ethical expectations inherently attached…” Translation: “He backed the wrong team, and we’re throwing a fit.” No specifics, no evidence, no due process—just a sanctimonious word vomit to disguise political pettiness.

As one Davao teen whispered to me, “If this is their idea of ‘goodwill,’ I’d hate to see their badwill.” The council’s attempt to pass off their grudge as an ethics crusade is so transparent it’s practically invisible.

Duterte’s Puppet Show: Strings Pulled from Malacañang

The timing of this fiasco is as subtle as a firecracker in a library. The revocation lands just after Camilo’s allies, the Nograles siblings, were trounced by the Duterte dynasty in the May 2025 elections. Pure coincidence, right?

Did these “verified reports” of misconduct flutter in on a carrier pigeon from Malacañang? The Duterte machine, which runs Davao like a personal fiefdom, doesn’t take kindly to dissenters. Camilo’s crime? Supporting the opposition.

Councilor Pinky Mercado, the resolution’s mastermind, has gone full ghost, dodging five requests for comment. As I’ve written before, “When officials duck questions, it’s usually because the truth would embarrass them.” Mercado’s silence is louder than a megaphone.

This isn’t just a local spat; it’s a page from the Duterte playbook—weaponize bureaucracy to silence critics, then cloak it in “ethics” like a wolf in a nun’s habit. The resolution, passed on June 24, the last session of the 20th City Council, screams last-minute power grab, timed to dodge scrutiny before the SK term extension. It’s political theater, and it’s not even good theater.

Davao’s Self-Sabotage and the Philippines’ Chilling Message

For Davao: A City Eating Its Young

Davao loves to flaunt its “youth-friendly” badge, but stripping a commendation from a leader like Camilo reveals it as a cheap sticker slapped on a rotting facade. A city that punishes critical youth voices isn’t building a future—it’s burying it.

The council’s actions betray a pathetic fear: they’re terrified of a 28-year-old with a spine and a vision. Davao’s youth deserve leaders who inspire, not ones who play whack-a-mole with anyone who dares think independently.

For the Philippines: Duterte’s Petty Tyranny Lives On

This is Rodrigo Duterte’s legacy in miniature—petty, vindictive, and allergic to dissent. The revocation isn’t just an attack on Camilo; it’s a neon sign warning every Filipino youth: step out of line, and the bureaucratic guillotine awaits.

From Davao to the national stage, the message is chilling: dissent equals punishment. The risk? A generation of young leaders silenced, their energy redirected from reform to self-preservation. If this is “youth empowerment,” I’d hate to see suppression.

Snarky Prescriptions for a Clownish Council

To Camilo:

Keep suing, keep roasting, and maybe gift the council a dictionary flipped to ‘jurisdiction.’ Your Writ of Kalikasan proves you’re fighting battles bigger than these petty bureaucrats. Keep shining; their overreach is your spotlight.

To the Council:

Next time, at least forge some evidence. This was amateur hour. If you’re going to play the ethics card, try reading the laws you cite. Better yet, tackle actual youth crises—teenage pregnancy, HIV, pollution—instead of picking fights with a volunteer who outclasses you.

To the Public:

Stop electing goons. Start backing leaders who don’t quake at a 28-year-old with principles. Davao deserves better than a council that mistakes governance for a high school vendetta. Demand accountability, not blind loyalty.

Parting Zinger: Hypocrisy’s Last Stand

Davao’s youth deserve better than a council that confuses governance with a gang turf war. If they’re itching to revoke something, they should start with their own hypocrisy—it’s the only thing they’ve earned in spades.