SOME Cebuanos are expecting good governance as they welcomed Thursday, June 20, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., who assumed his post as the country’s 17th president.
The 1987 Constitution mandates the presidential inauguration to take place on June 30, with the president-elect taking his oath of office at exactly noon.
In an interview with SunStar Cebu Thursday, June 30, Jimboy Villar, 44, tricycle driver, said he supports Marcos, believing that he could lift the economy up again.
"Kato untang nasugdan nga programa ni Duterte, unta iyang ipadayon, labi na ang war on drugs....murag nindot kaayo to. Pero ang usa sa dapat totokan ani kay ang pagtaas gyud sa presyo sa gasolina kay tanan palitonon apektado mumahal sad og apil," Villar said.
Marcos earlier said that he will make arrangements with oil-producing countries to soften the blow of surging prices of petroleum products on consumers.
He said he will negotiate with oil-producing nations to lengthen the payback period.
But oil companies implemented last June 28 another round of price increase on fuel products.
This made Villar sad, as he said his livelihood depends on the price of gasoline. He said he might find another sideline if the skyrocketing fuel prices will not be addressed as soon as possible.
"Unsaon na lang mi aning mga gagmay rag kita. Mangita na lang jud og laing sideline... Karon nga nakalingkod na siya [Marcos], I hope nga maningkamot siya nga mulambo ang Pilipinas," he said.
Narciso Dizo, 61, also expected Marcos to prioritize the lowering of the prices of fuel. He also hopes that the new president will fulfill his promise to bring the kilo of rice to P20.
"Gipanaad sa iyang kampanya... iyang baratuhon ang bugas. Pero unta iyang unang buhaton kay ang pagbarato sa presyo sa gasolina kay kung mubarato ang gasoline, mubarato sad ang mga paliton. Dili lang kay ang bugas lang kay ang kinahanglanon sa tao dili lang man bugas," he said.
Dizo also expected the Marcos administration to solve corruption in the government.
"Corruption is number 1 problem sa Pilipinas, kay kanang corruption, ang dapat unta buhaton sa bag-ong presidente kay sugpoon unta ang corruption sa mga gagmay institution, labi na ang mga barangay officials ug LGU, dili lang sa mga higher officials ang unahon," he said.
Reynaldo Gemarino, 38, a technician, also wanted the Marcos administration to lower the prices of fuel.
"Wala may problema para nako si Bongbong Marcos, pero unta mapagamay na ning presyo sa gasolina para dili pud mu increase ang plete ug palitonon," he said.
Gemarino also called on Marcos to finish what former President Rodrigo Duterte had started, particularly the war on drugs.
"Usa sa dapat nga solusyonan ni Bongbong Marcos kay kining mga trabahoon ni Duterte nga wala pa nahuman. War on drugs ug ekonimiya nga mabalik na sa normal," he said.
John Ruiz, spokesperson of cause-oriented groups and Kabayan Muna-Central Visayas coordinator, appealed to Marcos on Thursday, June 30, to address the issues hounding the country today.
"Among saaran si Bongbong Marcos nga kinahanglan siya muplastada sa katawhan, kung unsa man gyud iyang planong programa. Pananglitan karon sa pagtaas sa presyo sa pretroleum tungod sa inflation nga niresulta sa pagmahal sa pamaliton, dili mahimo nga mutubag lang siya nga wala tay mahimo ug mangtahag lag ayuda nga pipila ray maka benepisyo," Ruiz said.
Ruiz’s group, which staged a protest outside the Cebu Provincial Capitol building Thursday, dared Marcos to show concrete solutions to the problems, particularly on human rights and agriculture.
“Usa ra man akong nadunggan nga saad ni Presidente Bongbong Marcos Jr. nga ang pagbarato sa bugas ngadto sa P20 kilos na lang. Kini dakong questionably, kay wala man siyay programa para sa atong agricultura, mao niy gipangayo sa atong mag-uuma,” he said.
Ruiz also urged Marcos to acknowledge the wrongdoings committed during the administration of his father. He challenged the new president to be a good example by paying his family’s debts.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue confirmed in March that it has demanded the Marcos family to settle their estate tax debt, which reportedly has ballooned to over P200 billion.
“Magpakita siya’g ehemplo. Bayran niya ang utang tungod kay bikil kaayong manawagan sa katawhan para musuporta ug mubayad ug buwis. Labi na nga nagplanado na sad ang administration og dugang buwis para ibayad sa atong utang,” said Ruiz.
Ruiz also advised Marcos to listen to public’s concerns.
Marcos took his oath of office Thursday noon, June 30, at the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila.
Former presidents who also took their oath of office at the National Museum were Manuel Quezon (1935), Jose P. Laurel (1943) and Manuel Roxas (1946). (Irish Delima and Ryan Megabon, CNU interns)