Pres. Bongbong Marcos Speaks on Challenge in Presidency, Lessons from Dad
BONGBONG MARCOS – The President claimed that he spends hours each day with his advisers as they “think out of the box” to meet the current demands.
In 2022, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s victory in the presidential race marked the return of the Marcoses in Malacañang. His father, the late former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Sr., has served as the country’s chief executive from 1965 to 1986. He is the longest-serving president of the country.
Amid his term, Marcos Sr. declared a Martial Law. He had two (2) elected terms before he made the declaration in 1972 and it lasted until his ouster in 1986. He and his family exiled in Hawaii. When Marcos Jr. won the presidency, the issues of the alleged ill-gotten wealth of their family became the talk once again.
Recently, Pres. Bongbong Marcos claimed that he really did not intend to enter politics. According to him, he wants a quiet life so he went to a business school. The President claimed that he saw the sacrifice and struggle of his parents and he wanted a quiet life.
However, Marcos Jr. also admitted that his parents, the late former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Sr., and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, were seemingly disappointed about him then. He is the only son of Marcos Sr. and his wife but, then, he lacked interest towards politics.
“Medyo nadidismaya sa akin magulang ko kasi nag-iisa akong lalaki. Pero ayaw na ayaw ko. Nakikita ko magulang ko ang hirap ng buhay nila, ang daming sakripisyo…Sabi [ko] tahimik lang na buhay, that’s why I went to business school,” the President said.
Pres. Bongbong Marcos stressed that life is really unpredictable and he ended up in politics despite not wanting to be a government official when he was young. Meanwhile, he stressed that he did not regret anything. As the country’s president amid the many issues surrounding the nation now, Marcos Jr. stressed that what the past leaders were doing during the 1970s and 1980s are not the same way that things are done by the current leaders.
“Every day, we spend hours with my advisers thinking, think out of the box. Stop thinking the same old way. It doesn’t work anymore,” Marcos Jr. said.
Based on the report, despite the differences between the times then and now, Pres. Bongbong Marcos admitted that there are still lessons from his late father that he applies to his work. He also emphasized that his line of duty really requires sacrifice.
“I think the basic thing that I learned from my father is don’t stop. If you believe in something that you are doing for the country, for your people, do not stop. You will have to sacrifice. Ganyan talaga ang trabaho,” he said.
Recently, the eldest son of the President, Ilocos Norte Congressman Sandro Marcos, filed an Anti-Political Dynasty Bill which is one of the priority measures of Marcos Jr.