By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. opened the possibility of reconciling with the Duterte family amid political tensions, stressing the importance of unity and stability in the government.
In the first episode of the “BBM Podcast” on Monday, the President said that he wants to maintain a stable and peaceful administration so that they can focus on serving the public, “I’m always open to any approach na, ‘Halika, magtulungan tayo,’ ‘di ba? Kahit na hindi tayo magkasundo sa polisiya… Gawin mo ’yong trabaho pero huwag na tayong nanggugulo.”
President Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte won under the “UniTeam” alliance in the 2022 elections, but the conflict between the Chief Executive and the Duterte family deepened following the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte due to the alleged misuse of confidential funds and the arrest and surrender of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court.
Since then, the Vice President and her family’s allies and supporters consistently made sharp remarks against Marcos and the administration.
Duterte’s impeachment trial before the Senate, will begin when the 20th Congress convenes in July.
“’Yong impeachment, eh nasa Senado na ’yan. Pabayaan natin sila. May proseso ’yan. Pabayaan natin ang proseso,” Marcos said, pointing out that he only wants to focus on getting back to work now that the 2025 midterm elections are over.
Nevertheless, the President emphasized that he values peace and cooperation over division, “Ako, ayaw ko ng gulo. Gusto ko makasundo [ang] lahat ng tao, mas maganda. Marami na akong kaaway at hindi ko kailangan ng kaaway; [ang] kailangan ko, kaibigan.”
Why ‘Benteng Bigas’ rollout took time
On May 1, the administration launched the “Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na” program in Cebu province, wherein the vulnerable sector can purchase rice at P20/kg. 12 days later, the sale of the affordable rice was expanded to include Metro Manila and other provinces—fulfilling Marcos’ campaign promise.
When asked why it took a long time before the initiative was finally implemented, the Chief Executive explained that the government had to first clamp down on rice smuggling and hoarding, which made rice prices high during the early years of his term.
“Ang isa sa una naming ginawa, nag-raid kami ng mga warehouse,” he said, expressing dismay that public officials connived with corrupt rice importers and smuggling syndicates. “Hindi nila iniintindi ang production. Hindi nila iniintindi ’yong sistema. Hindi nila iniintindi ang presyo ng palay, ang presyo ng bigas, ang kikitain ng magsasaka.”
Aside from addressing rice smuggling and hoarding, Marcos said the government also had to undertake bureaucratic and legislative reforms as well as boost rice production before finally launching the BBM Na program this year.
Cabinet review underway
Having competent leaders is key to gauging whether the government is performing well in addressing the needs of the Filipino people. That’s why the administration has begun conducting a performance review of his Cabinet to root out corrupt and underperforming officials, the President bared.
This is to assess whether government targets are being met to improve delivery of public service, “Titingnan namin, bakit mabagal ang baba ng serbisyo… Anong gagawin natin para pabilisin? ’Yon ang importante.”
Asked whether any official would be removed from his Cabinet, Marcos clarified that the ongoing assessment could lead to dismissal or even legal action, depending on the results, “Baka mangyari ’yan. Dito nga sa ginagawa naming performance review, iyon ang warning ko sa kanila… Kung talagang may nagkukulang o corrupt, eh kung talagang masyadong mabigat ’yong kanilang kasalanan, eh kasuhan na namin,” he said.
Watch the full episode of the BBM Podcast to know more about the issues that the President answered:
-jpv
