AMID the tense relations between President Marcos Jr. and some family members of his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and an ongoing move to separate Mindanao from the rest of the country, the President yesterday visited Davao City and attended three public service events that would benefit the city and the rest of the Davao region.
Marcos was joined by Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte in three of the four events that he attended.
Marcos said his love for Davao City and its people will never be erased from his heart as he reminisced about the longtime friendship that he had forged with the people of Davao and the love that Davaoeños had given to him and his family.
‘’Masaya ako, masaya ako at nakadalaw ulit ako dito sa Davao, maraming masayang alaala ang ibinigay ng mga Davaoeños sa akin at sa aking pamilya sa nakalipas na panahon.
Marami ring pagkakaibigang pang-habambuhay ang nabuo rito (I am happy. I am happy that I am again able to visit Davao. The Davaoeños have given me and my family a lot of happy memories for the past years. I have also formed many long-time friendships here),’’ he said.
Relations between Marcos and members of the Duterte family have been tense since the former president criticized members of the House of Representatives for cutting the P650 million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, both led by his daughter Sara, in the 2024 national budget.
Last month, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte called on Marcos to resign, supposedly because he has “done nothing” to improve the Philippines.
Also recently, the former president accused Marcos of being a drug addict, who he said was included in the drug list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
The elder Duterte also warned the President that he may suffer the same fate as his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, who was ousted from power in 1986.
He has also announced an ongoing move to separate Mindanao from the rest of the Philippines, which lawmakers and numerous government officials have already rebuffed.
ABSENT
The Davao City mayor did not attend any of the events attended by Marcos, which included the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, the distribution of 250,000 electronic land titles to agrarian reform beneficiaries from the Davao region, and the signing of an agreement for the construction of the Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP).
Marcos also attended a situational briefing on the status of ongoing relief operations in the areas affected by the shearline and trough of the low-pressure area that brought continued rains in the Davao region from January 29 to February 2 and which has resulted in massive flooding and landslide incidents.
Except for the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, Vice President Sara attended all three other events and introduced the President as the guest of honor during the e-title distribution event.
The President said he brought along several members of his Cabinet to show how the government implements its “whole of government, whole of nation approach.”
During the inauguration of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply project, Marcos directed both government and private groups to expedite the completion of all water projects in the country to improve water security and address potential water scarcity in the country.
He also welcomed the inauguration of the project, which he said would address the water needs of over one million Davaoeños.
During the distribution of the e-tiles, which covered 3,560 hectares of land in the Davao region, the President committed to complete the distribution of agrarian reform program land titles within his term.
Marcos also assured the beneficiaries that apart from the land, the government is also addressing the other needs of farmers – from the provision of seedlings to equipment and loans, among others, to help and hasten the uplifting of their lives.
The President said that in 2023, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) distributed 90,000 land titles, or 40,000 titles more than their annual target of 50,000.
DAR is targeting to distribute 1.14 million Collective Certificates of Land Ownership Awards to beneficiaries covering 1.367 million hectares of land.
During his visit to Davao City, Marcos also witnessed the signing of the civic work contract for the construction of the P73.38 billion Davao Public Transport Modernization Project (DPTMP) which he described as a “game changing initiative” to address urban congestion and mobility challenges in the city and serve as a model for public transit projects in other parts of the country.
“So once completed, this is certainly, as they call it, a game changer. This project will become the template for public transport systems in other cities in our country. As a mass transport system, this people mover will provide faster and more comfortable commutes whilst decongesting streets filled with private vehicles, and improve road traffic,” he said.
He said the DPTMP will provide an affordable and clean mode of transport that will “neither burn a hole in the pockets of our people, nor a bigger one in our ozone layer.”
The DPTMP is a 672-kilometer bus route network serving 29 interconnected routes with 400 articulated battery electric buses and more than 500 diesel buses.
Upon completion, it is seen to serve approximately 800,000 passengers every day and generate approximately 3,000 jobs.
‘NOT A THREAT’
Retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio yesterday belittled the proposal of the elder Duterte to secede Mindanao from the rest of the country, saying it does not pose a threat to the Republic.
Carpio also said Duterte’s proposal is not a ground for sedition because “sedition requires an overt act, tumultuous, and you commit it through violence or intimidation, and the former president has not done that.”
“I don’t think this is inciting to sedition because nobody’s incited to commit unlawful activities,” Carpio, who hails from Davao City, also said in an ambush interview.
Carpio stressed that the military will not allow any move to dismember the Philippines.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro earlier rejected calls for a separate Mindanao, saying the military will strictly enforce its mandate to protect the integrity of the national territory.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano also warned that the national government would not hesitate to use “resolute force” to quell any efforts to dismember the country.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla also said the department “stands firmly” against any attempts to undermine the unity and territorial integrity of the Philippines, as enshrined in the 1987 Constitution.
Carpio said he is confident no government official in Mindanao “who has no personal interest will support Duterte’s call.” — With Ashzel Hachero
