By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday said survey results would not sway his decisions or determine his administration’s policies.
During a presidential luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines at Diamond Hotel Philippines in Manila, President Marcos Jr. said he bases policy decisions on what he believes is the best course of action for the country.
“And a survey doesn’t really come into it because it does not determine the rightness or wrongness of what I’m trying to do or what my government is trying to do,” Marcos Jr. said.
“I don’t change my decision because of the survey. I don’t change direction because of the survey. I take a decision because what I feel is the proper decision to make,” he added.
Marcos Jr., however, acknowledged that he takes note of survey results as a politician but said these have only a limited effect on him.
Survey results, he said, “do not make any difference to [me].”
“Of course, you care. You’re a politician. But only to a very small extent. If your numbers aren’t good, I wish they were better. If your numbers are good, then you said great. But once that stays in my mind maybe for a minute or two, then I get back to work after that,” the President said.
Restoring public trust
Marcos said restoring public trust in government and reviving a culture of nation-building are among the most important legacies he hopes to leave.
Asked about the legacy he wants to leave when his term ends in 2028, Marcos said he does not usually think about it because his focus is on building a government that people can trust and rely on.
“Legacy is when you die. I just hope we will put the faith of people back in government, and that we now have a government that people can depend on, people can trust, and that people can talk to,” Marcos Jr. said.
He said the government should listen to the people rather than simply tell them what to do.
The President also said his administration considers local governments important partners of the national government because they have a better understanding of the concerns of their communities and can offer solutions to local problems.
“That will make government more accessible, not only in terms of transparency, but accessible in terms of we can bring our concerns to government. And we have enough confidence that they will in fact do something about it,” he said.
