PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday encouraged Filipinos to refrain from trashing and pulling each other down as he emphasized there is no place for mudslinging and pulling each other down under a “Bagong Pilipinas” (new Philippines).
The President, in his 253rd Vlog titled “Bagong Pilipinas Kick-off Rally,” urged everyone to prioritize the country and become new Filipinos.
“Ang tagumpay ng panawagan na ito ay nakasalalay sa ating pagkakaisa. Sa isang Bagong Pilipinas, walang puwang ang mga paninira at paghahatakan pababa. Unahin natin ang ating bayan. Magbago na tayo dahil walang Bagong Pilipinas kung walang bagong Pilipino (The success of this call depends on our unity. Under a new Philippines, there is no room for maligning and pulling each other down. Let’s put our country first. Let us change because there is no new Philippines if there are no new Filipinos),” he said.
Marcos led the launch of the Bagong Pilipinas on Sunday last week at the Quirino Grandstand.
His latest message comes amid a word war between the Senate and the House of Representatives over moves to amend the 1987 Constitution, with Speaker Martin Romualdez, presidential cousin, being tagged by senators as behind a signature drive pushing for a ”people’s initiative” mode of amending the Charter.
Last Sunday during a rally in Davao City against efforts to amend the Constitution, former president Rodrigo Duterte called Marcos a “drug addict.” This prompted Marcos to say that Duterte’s use of the pain killer fentanyl could have affected his predecessor’s judgment.
During the same rally, Duterte’s son Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, asked the President to resign “if you do not have love and aspirations for your country.” He also said the Chief Executive is lazy and lacks compassion.
The President, in the Vlog, reiterated that Bagong Pilipinas involves both those in government and the private sector and called for the transformation of the ideals of being a Filipino, the economy, and governance.
He said Bagong Pilipinas does not mean covering up for any shortcoming. It instead invites everyone to do better in their respective jobs or fields and to support the government in promoting the development of the country.
“Malaki ang inyong maitutulong, mahalaga ang inyong ginagawa. Ang disiplina, pagiging mahusay at magaling sa kanya-kanyang larangan at pagmamahal sa bayan. Ito ang mga sangkap ng isang makabagong Pilipino na ating isinusulong (You can contribute a lot, what you are doing is important. Discipline, doing well in your respective fields, and love for country, these make up the new Filipinos that we are pushing for),” he added.
The President reiterated that Bagong Pilipinas also means an improvement in the performance of government and delivery of services.
Marcos said gone are the lazy, the corrupt and public servants who lord themselves over others instead of being the one serving the people.
“While power emanates from the people, change must begin from government,” he reiterated, adding that under a new Philippines there is hope which lives in every Filipino.
BASTE VS IMEE?
Mayor Duterte clarified that he apologized to presidential sister Sen. Imee Marcos “out of pity for her” and it had nothing to do with what he said against President Marcos during the prayer rally.
In a Facebook post Saturday, Duterte said the senator has been apparently using his apology for her “drama in the media.”
“Madame Imee, linawin ko lang kasi ginagamit mo na sa drama mo diyan sa media. Humingi ako ng tawad dahil naawa ako sa yo, hindi dahil sa mga sinabi ko tungkol sa kapatid mo na president (“Madame Imee, I would just like to clarify — because you are using it for your drama before the media — I apologized because I pity you, not because of what I said about your brother),” the mayor said.
Imee Marcos, in a message to the media, said she has already talked to the mayor regarding his Facebook post.
“Naku hindi na ako basta-basta magkukuwento at sa kaguluhan ngayon ay napakadaling baliin at bigyan ng maling kahulugan. Parang may gustong mag-away kami, buti at nagka-usap na kami, at hindi ko ikukuwento (I will no longer disclose [what we talked about] because with what is happening, it is easy to twist and give wrong meaning [to statements]. It’s like some people want us to fight. But the good thing is that we have talked, and I will not tell what we talked about this time),” she said.
Imee Marcos last week said Mayor Duterte apologized after the speech.
“Lumapit sa akin si Mayor Baste, nag-sorry nang nag-sorry. Naiintidihan ko naman kasi siyempre sobrang emosyonal siya kasi isipin mo naman ikukulong ang tatay at ate mo. Talagang magre-rebolusyon ang iyong damdamin (Mayor Baste approached me, he was very sorry. I understand him because his father and sister will be jailed. That will trigger your emotions),” Marcos said, apparently referring to reports that investigators of the International Criminal Court have already been allowed entry to the country despite a pronouncement from President Marcos that he will not allow it.
The former president Duterte has been charged before the ICC for crimes against humanity for his administration’s bloody war on drugs.
Also, his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte, is now charged before the ICC for her alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killings of the Davao Death Squad. — With Raymond Africa
