The Healer Who Brought His Own Plague: Bojie Dy’s Prescription for a Sick House

Prescription: Silence, Clearance, and a Side of Palace Dependency

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — January 3, 2025

A surgeon was appointed to clean the bleeding wound in the House—the shameful flood control budget scandal that toppled Martin Romualdez last September. Now, under the new Speaker, Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, the corridors of Batasan have suddenly gone quiet, cold, and filled with whispers.

The doctor, say those emerging from the shadows, is not merely cleansing—he is also carrying new infections.

***“Operating in the dark: because germs hate spotlight.”***

The Theater of Shadows: Who Really Are the Iskoopers?

On the darkened stage of the House, the Iskoopers are the masked actors whispering the plot. They are not a single voice—not a monolith of courage—but a chorus of the aggrieved:

Romualdez loyalists suddenly buried in dust
Sidelined lawmakers stripped of their seats at the table
Strategists releasing smoke to conceal their next move

They claim Bojie is distant, insulated, acting as if he needs no one but the Palace’s blessing.

But I ask: Are they guardians of democracy, or saboteurs waiting for their moment?

On one hand, they shed light on “unwritten rules”—the need for clearance before speaking to media, hearings that suddenly vanish from livestreams. On the other, their whispers are poison weakening an institution that still needs strength to recover.

They are neither heroes nor villains. They are collateral in a game where truth always lies between two camps.

The Anatomy of a Speaker: Reformer or Politically Autistic?

Bojie Dy arrived waving the banner of reform:

Blockchain for transparency
Paperless Congress
A promise to clean house after Romualdez’s deluge

Yet why, under his leadership, does the House now feel like a clinic with its doors locked?

The Iskoopers say he is “worlds apart” from Martin—Martin who always chatted, indulged, practiced pakikisama. Bojie, they claim, circles only his inner circle, dodges the media, and believes Malacañang’s blessing is enough.

Is this disciplined focus on reform, or a fatal political autism—an inability to feel the pulse of his colleagues?

Remember history: Jose de Venecia, Pantaleon Alvarez—all once enjoyed Palace favor, yet fell when they lost the trust of their peers.

Confidence is currency in the House; lose it, and even a crowned Speaker will see it slip from his head.

Is Bojie becoming a victim of his own “Palace-dependent arrogance”? Or is his distance merely defense against the crocodiles waiting for his misstep?

The Poisoned Chalice: This Is Not Just About Personality

Let us not dismiss this as mere personality drama.

This is a proxy war in the cold but deadly Marcos-Duterte conflict.

Romualdez fell over the budget scandal; Dy rose on promises to clean it up. Now, as 2028 approaches, every whisper is ammunition—from camps that want to restore the old order, or those that want to upend it entirely.

The 2026 budget—₱6.793 trillion riddled with questions about insertions—sits on his desk.

Hearings not livestreamed, lawmakers needing clearance to speak—are these controls for order, or covers for new germs?

In this cold war, the House is not just a chamber of lawmakers; it is a battlefield.

Consequences and the Innocent Victims

While the machinery of power clashes, who suffers?

The 2026 budget risks delay—infrastructure projects, aid for the poor, disaster preparedness
Critical legislation—anti-dynasty or anti-corruption—may be trapped in factionalism
And the greatest victim: public trust, already buried deep

If the coup whispers continue, they will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. The House will turn into a broken machine—noisy outside, motionless within.

And while they rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic, the nation sinks.

My Decree as a Citizen

I will not remain silent. Here is my clear and sharp decree:

Livestream all hearings. No more “technical constraints” excuses—if blockchain exists for transparency, use it to show every discussion to the public.
Remove clearance requirements for media interviews. Lawmakers represent the people, not the Speaker’s mouthpiece.
Speaker Dy must issue regular, open reports on the state of the House—not just declarations of support from 219 members, but genuine listening to grievances.
And to the Iskoopers: If your whispers are truly for the nation, come into the light. Anonymity is the refuge of cowards; truth demands a face.

The House is not a private theater of shadows. It is our house.

It is time to open the windows, turn off the backstage lights, and face the daylight—no matter how painful it is for those in power.

If not, the next coup will not be just against Bojie—but against the entire institution. And then, no surgeon will be left to clean the mess.

While they rearrange the deck chairs on our sinking ship, I remain your watchful sentinel in the crow’s nest,