President Marcos Jr. 

MANILA, Philippines – Did President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just take a swipe against candidates identified with former President Rodrigo Duterte? 

At the kick-off rally of the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte Tuesday, February 11, the state chief did not mince words at making biting comparisons between his senatorial slate and other candidates. 

While not specifically mentioning the former president, Marcos’ words obviously alluded to Duterte and his allies when he highlighted issues that hounded the previous administration. 

“Tingnan niyo po ang record ng ating mga kandidato, wala sa kanila ang may bahid ng dugo dahil sa tokhang,” Marcos said. 

“Wala sa kanila ang kasabwat sa pagbulsa ng saku-sakong pera, pinagsamantalahan ang krisis ng pandemya, pinabayaan ang ating mga kababayan na magkasakit at mamatay,” he said. 

Marcos proudly said that none in his slate displayed a soft stance towards foreign aggression in the West Philippine Sea, opposing Duterte’s appeasing means towards China. 

“Wala sa kanila ang mga pumapalakpak sa Tsina at natutuwa pa kapag tayo ay binobomba ng tubig, tinatamaan ang ating mga Coast Guard, hinaharang ang ating mga mangingisda. Ninanakaw ang kanilang huli at bukod pa roon ay inaaagaw pa ang mga isla natin para maging bahagi ng kanilang bansa,” Marcos said. 

Furthermore, no one in the administration ticket, Marcos said, was ever involved in the proliferation of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO), an industry that harbored tortures and abuses to women. 

“Wala po sa kanila ang tila sakristan ng isang bulaang propeta na nasasakdal dahil sa pagyurak sa ating kabataan at sa ating kababaihan.” 

“Wala sa kanila ang tagataguyod ng pugad ng krimen ng sentro ng paglalapastangan ng mga kababaihan na mga POGO,” Marcos said. 

In 2021, Duterte signed into law a measure imposing taxes on POGO as part of the government’s efforts to to regulate all forms of legal gambling and prohibit illegal gambling operations according to then Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque. 

However, government crackdown on all POGO operations revealed tortures, deaths and abuses within its multi-million facilities. 

After a series of congressional probes, the Marcos government ordered a full ban on all legal and illegal POGOs by the end of 2024. 

“Tayo ba ay papayag na babalik sa panahon kung kelan gusto ng ating mga liderato maging probinsya tayo ng Tsina? Babalik ba tayo sa nakaraan na ibinibugaw ang ating bayan bilang isang sugalan ng mga dayuhan?” Marcos said. 

“Nais ba nating bumalik sa landas na umaapaw sa dugo ng mga inosenteng mga bata na inagaw sa kanilang mga ina, kinuha sa kanilang mga tahanan at inagaw ang kanilang kinabukasan,” Marcos said. 

The administration’s Senate slate is composed of former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Pia Cayetano, Senator Imee Marcos, Senator Lito Lapid, former Senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao, Senator Ramon  Revilla Jr., former Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senator Francis Tolentino, former Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.