WITHOUT mincing his words, Davao City Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte called the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. the “most inefficient” he has ever seen in his life.
“I don’t know why we should continue to tolerate this kind of administration. I think people, as your responsibility, as citizens of this country, should voice out. Huwag kayong [do not stop] titigil because something… it is not something, it is wrong,” he said during the Basta Dabawenyo Podcast, on July 20, 2025.
He also claimed that Marcos’s presidency has already done significant damage to the country and that public funds have been depleted. Duterte believes the government no longer has enough money to construct infrastructure.
Duterte further stated that whatever Marcos says in his upcoming State of the Nation Address (Sona) will not be consistent with his previous Sonas. He criticized Marcos for making promises that were never fulfilled, such as the pledge to bring rice prices down to P20 per kilo.
He advised the President to focus on working and listening to the people. He said Marcos should ask the public about the problems they face and provide concrete solutions.
He also criticized the President for merely appearing at incident sites for photo opportunities, saying the public knows he is out of touch.
“Sige raka og [You are always doing] photo ops, that’s all you do, it’s PR, it’s because you have ABS-CBN and GMA and you have TV5, all the mainstream media here, but you cannot change the reality on the ground with what’s happening with the people,” he said.
Duterte added that Marcos’s photo ops do not put food on the table, especially as the prices of basic goods continue to rise. He attributed this situation to alleged corruption, citing issues with the General Appropriations Act (GAA) and PhilHealth.
He then challenged the administration to address these issues so that the public might regain trust in the government.
Instead of solving problems, Duterte said, the government has been focused on handing out ‘ayuda’ (financial aid) and engaging in politicking. RGP