By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
The Palace reaffirmed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s tireless work in curbing corruption as well as acting on issues that resonate with the Filipinos, especially on reducing poverty, fighting widespread sale and use of illegal drugs, controlling inflation, and combating graft and corruption.
At the Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed the results of the Pulse Asia survey, which claims that the citizenry is not satisfied with the Chief Executive’s response to the previously mentioned issues.
Castro refuted the survey’s findings, “Ang Pangulo po ay hindi naaalarma sa mga numero. Patuloy po ang pagtatrabaho ng Pangulo para lalong malabanan ang korapsyon sa ating bansa—at dati na rin po niyang sinabi na ‘Ratings should not be based only on one survey.’”
She expounded, “Ang commitment po ng Pangulo, panagutin ang dapat mapanagot. Ito na po siguro ang pinakamabilis na pagsisiwalat ng mga diumanong anomalya sa flood control projects. Hayaan po natin na magtuloy-tuloy ang proseso, at ang Pangulo po ay hindi po magsasawalang-bahala sa mga naririnig niya na sentimyento ng ating mga kababayan.”
The Palace mouthpiece, meanwhile, noted that the government continues to work on disaster response amid ensuring that the country’s inflation rate remains in line with the targets set forth by the administration for this year.
Castro also questioned the results of the Pulse Asia survey for undermining the efforts of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in combating the sale and usage of illegal drugs across the archipelago, noting the various operations by both agencies that led to the seizure of various quantities of illegal substances and the apprehension of suspects behind this illicit trade.
She concluded her remarks by noting the recent uptick in Filipinos joining the labor force and contributing to the country’s bottom line vis-à-vis decline in the unemployment rate, which is indicative of the government’s progress in poverty reduction.
This works in tandem with the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Walang Gutom Kitchen and other government initiatives geared towards ensuring inclusive growth that strikes a chord with the masses across socioeconomic levels.
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