AT NOON today, the Philippines will have a new president, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who campaigned on a platform of unity and was rewarded by the Filipino people with their trust — more than 31 million votes and unending cheers of hope and propitiation.
As if on cue, the Supreme Court which is not known to adjudicate cases speedily, came out on Tuesday, June 28, with a decision dismissing all disqualification petitions against the incoming President. In an en banc session, 13 justices voted for the dismissal of the petitions for disqualification and cancellation of Marcos Jr.’s certificate of candidacy.
The Supreme Court’s final ruling should end all attempts by the Marcos family’s perennial critics and opponents, including leaders of the Left, to undermine the election for president of Bongbong Marcos.
‘Marcos and his vice president, Sara Duterte, have been calling for unity among Filipinos to help the administration grapple with all these problems.’
Having survived the judicial challenge to his assumption into office, President Bongbong Marcos can now buckle down to work more seriously in choosing what to prioritize in the first weeks of his administration, recognizing that the nation’s problems are varied, numerous, and urgent.
The fact that Marcos opted to handle the Department of Agriculture (DA) while also governing the nation from the seat of power in Malacañang shows where his top priority lies. Indeed, the country needs to produce its own food in the wake of supply chain disruptions in the world market, mainly due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the resulting increases in the prices of oil, gas and wheat.
During the campaign, Marcos did not categorically promise that he will cut the price of rice to P20 per kilo, but he indeed toyed with this idea, which experts say is unattainable in the short term. President Bongbong Marcos (PBBM) will have to consult with his agricultural technicians and scientists on what to do to at least approximate this price range for the staple.
Health issues, particularly now to deal with the threat of a comebacking COVID-19, are also on top of the list, along with problems in energy supply, water, education, the communist insurgency, peace and order in Mindanao, infrastructure, and the fight against graft and corruption, not to mention the war on drugs, and of course, the P12.03-trillion foreign and domestic loans that the previous administration left.
Marcos and his vice president, Sara Duterte, have been calling for unity among Filipinos to help the administration grapple with all these problems. Giving Marcos a gesture of cooperation, or at least a 100-day honeymoon period during which protests and criticisms are somewhat subdued, will go a long way in properly setting him up for the daunting tasks ahead.
