SEN. Risa Hontiveros yesterday said presumptive President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should learn to communicate with the Filipino people so they can have a clearer understanding of his programs of government, which she said he failed to do during the campaign period as he refused to attend media and government-sponsored presidential debates.
In an interview with Radyo 5, Hontiveros said now that Marcos’s victory is imminent, he
needs to give Filipinos the details of his platform of government.
“Kailangang mag-communicate siya, makipag-usap siya sa publiko para rin luminaw ang terms of engagement, paano i-e-engage ng iba’t ibang sector ang presumptive president para isulong pa rin ang ating iba’t ibang adbokasiya at saka agenda (He needs to communicate with the public so that the terms of engagement will become clear, how the different sectors can engage him to push his different advocacies and agenda),” she said.
She pointed out that when Marcos campaigned around the country, he did not expound on what his administration would do if he wins the May 9 presidential race.
“Mas maraming unknown tungkol sa kanya kaysa sa alam na natin. Tapos sa isang recent press conference, sabi ng mga observers hindi pa rin siya sumasagot sa mga tanong… very concerning po ‘yan dahil kailangan malaman ng publiko, ng civil society, ng private sector, at naming lahat na nagta-trabaho ngayon sa gobyerno at umaasang makapag-trabaho ulit sa gobyerno, kung ano ang style ng leadership at governance ng pinakamataas na lider ng bansa, at kung ano ang laman ng kanyang paggo-gobyerno at ano ang laman ng kanyang plataporma de gobyerno (We know very little about his platform. And then, in a recent press conference, observers said he still did not entertain questions [from the media] That is very concerning because the public, the civil society, the private sector, and all of us working and hoping to still work with the government, we need to know the leadership style of the highest elected official of the land, and what is the core of his governance, and platform of government),” Hontiveros said.
Emerging from a close-door meeting with his transition team on Wednesday afternoon, Marcos announced he will appoint his running mate, presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, as his education secretary.
Marcos did not take any questions from the media after giving his statement. He merely assured them that he will give updates “in the next few days about what’s going on” in his team.
Hontiveros is the only senatorial candidate who has so far made it to the top 12 winning senators based on partial and unofficial elections results.
If she is proclaimed, Hontiveros will be the lone opposition senator in the incoming 19th Congress. There are only for members of the opposition — outgoing Minority leader Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Leila de Lima, and Hontiveros — in the current 18th Congress which will officially end on June 30.
In a separate media interview, Hontiveros said the opposition has to “survive” in the Senate so there will be a check and balance.
“We have to survive. Hindi ‘yan na gusto lang namin (It is not that we only want to), it’s a fundamental requirement of a working democracy. The opposition has to stay in the game and we intend to,” Hontiveros told ANC.
“Kung meron man kaming mga fundamental disagreements with any administration, tungkulin namin not just for ourselves but (to) the citizens who deserve representation.
Kapag merong mga puna, kapag merong pagkukulang, pagkakamali, these have to be corrected. These gaps have to be filled (If we have fundamental disagreements with any administration, it is our duty not only for ourselves, but to the citizens who deserve representation. If there are things to be criticized, if there are shortcomings, wrongdoings, these have to be corrected. These gaps have to be filled),” she added.
