By Brian Campued
With three years left in office, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reaffirmed his commitment to leaving “significant and tangible” changes to improve the lives of every Filipino.
In the fourth part of the BBM Podcast Episode 2 on Saturday, the President stressed that he would not let the “worst thing” happen, wherein Filipinos would not feel the changes his administration has brought by the time his term ends in 2028.
“We made a change for the better. This has been my guide in all the positions I’ve taken,” Marcos said. “The worst thing that can happen is umupo ka doon sa posisyon mo, na nagsilbi ka, umalis ka, walang pinagbago.”
The President also reiterated that he is focused on addressing the needs of the Filipino people rather than intervening on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, insisting that he does have a role in the impeachment process.
“Lahat ng impeachment process nasa lehislatura ‘yan. It’s between Congress and the Senate. I’m busy with the transport, with the rice, with all of the different things that we are doing that nauubos ang oras ko doon,” he said.
When asked about whether the Chief Executive has a “say” in the decision on Duterte’s impeachment case even with separation of powers between the branches of government, Marcos said that while a President may choose to intervene on such decisions, he “chose not to.”
PBBM renews WPS stance: We continue to defend PH sovereignty
Amid tensions on the West Philippine Sea, the President remains committed to protecting the country’s sovereignty and will not allow any foreign power to seize even an inch of the country’s territory.
“We did not yield. We continue to protect the sovereignty of the Republic. We continue to defend the territory of the Republic. And we continue to protect and defend the people of the Republic,” Marcos said.
This as Chinese vessels continue to illegally enter the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) on Friday, making dangerous maneuvers against Philippine ships that were conducting resupply missions to fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Hindi naman tayo nakikipag-away. Pero huwag niyong binabangga ‘yong mga mangingisda, hindi ba? Huwag niyo kaming hinaharang doon sa teritoryo namin. Iyon ipaglalaban talaga namin ‘yan,” Marcos emphasized.
“Because kung ibigay mo ‘yan, bibigay mo ng—like they say: You give them an inch, they will take a mile. So, you cannot allow it even one inch.”
