FORMER President Rodrigo Duterte has an unfiltered take on the recently concluded 2024 State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. after the latter considered his future economic initiatives and pre-government plans as “achievements” in his hour-long speech.
In a roundtable discussion during the Basta Dabawenyo Podcast special episode hosted by lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles and Mark Lopez aired on Facebook on Tuesday evening, July 24, Duterte clarified that Marcos Jr. should know what achievement means in governance.
“There is no such thing as achievement dito sa governance (here in governance) because governance is malawak yan… (it is complex). All you can do is [that] you have done this thing, merong kaming produkto na dito. There is no achievement because it is a dynamic thing,” he said, adding that some projects could not be done as being “done” or “implemented” while it has been part of systematic political problems.
Marcos Jr. highlighted what his current administration had put solutions, particularly in Food and Security, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Health, International Relations, Tourism, Economy, Peace and Order, Dangerous Drugs, Employment, and Livelihood.
On the other hand, while he announced putting a stop to the operations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) in the country, which he said has been found to have been used as a cover for illicit activities, from telephone scams to human trafficking, Marcos Jr. did not mention any big-ticket projects for Davao Region despite his commitment to support such projects in his last year’s Sona.
The Duterte-Marcos Jr. relationship remains a major concern for the public. The political feud between them stemmed and went mainstream when Duterte accused the current leader of being an illegal drug user following his drug involvement in 2012.
It can also be recalled that hours before Sona, a deep fake video showing Marcos Jr. snorting alleged cocaine was presented during a Hakbang ng Maisug rally in Los Angeles, California, in the US, organized by Duterte’s supporters.
In a two-page statement published the same day on the Facebook page of FPRRD supporters, Duterte declared right away that he had no intention of tarnishing the leader's name because it had been made entirely by Maisug volunteers in the two locations without the organizing committee's knowledge or consent.
“First, the Marcos administration's feeble attempt to dismiss the video by simple denial actually reinforces the simmering suspicion of President Marcos' drug addiction,” Duterte emphasized, urging the president to submit himself to any “credible” drug test centers to debunk the allegations thrown at him. DEF