Senator-elect Robinhood Padilla on Tuesday, June 28 expressed confidence that President-elect Ferdinand ‘’Bongbong’’ R. Marcos Jr. will do everything for the nation and cleanse the Marcos family vilified through the years.
‘’At ang hakbang niya na siya ang tumayong pinuno ng agrikultura ay yun ang pinakamagandang desisyon na nangyari dito sa bayan na ito (And his decision to be the temporary the Department of Agriculture secretary is the best move ever to happen in this country,’’ Padilla said.
He made these comments to Senate reporters during a tour of the Senate building, two days before Marcos is scheduled to take his oath as the 17th President of the Philippine Republic on Thursday (June 30).
The topnotcher in the May 2022 senatorial elections ran under the banner of the pro-Duterte Partido Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) party which supported the Marcos-Sara Duterte UniTeam.
Asked by Senate reporters on what are his expectations of the young Marcos as the President, Padilla said:’’Siyempre ang una ang mga dasal ko, panalangin ko kay incoming Pres nasa kanya lahat, alam ko batid ko, na gagawin niya ang lahat naniniwala ako na gagawin nya lahat para sa bayan natin at para sa syempre ilang dekada din na dinungisan ang kanilang pangalan ito rin ang pagkakataon na kanyang linisin ang kanilang pangalan (Of course, one of my first prayers for the incoming President is that he would do everything for the country.. and would seize the opportunity to cleanse the Marcos name vilified through the decades).
Despite his historic win with a difference of 16 million votes between him and his closest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, critics continue to harp on the negative effects of the martial law administration of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos and alleged ill-gotten wealth charges against the Marcos family.
Young Marcos’ one-time, six-year presidency is one of the longest of any presidencies in the world.
He appears to enjoy strong support in the forthcoming 19th Congress whose leaders are his supporters.
Queried why young Marcos’ choice of the DA as the first government agency that he wanted to improve by being its temporary secretary merits his approval, Padilla said:
‘’Hindi ba tayo nahihiya niyan, agricultural country tayo pero nag i-import tayo ng bigas, nagiimport tayo ng isda. pambihira napakapambihira nun (Shouldn’t we be ashame that the Philippines, being an agricultural country, imports rice, we import fish. This is shocking).’’
On reports that ranking Department of Agriculture (DA) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) officials are alleged smuggling protectors, Padilla said this is an old song but this coming administration should make them liable.
Recalling his recent seminar at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), Padilla said he was told that there is lack of accountability from those in government.
‘’Hindi pwedeng puro sorry, kayo ay nanumpa sa harapan ng Panginoong Diyos at nanumpa sa harapan ng taumbayan na kayo ay magsisilbi at poproteksyunan nyo ang sambayanang pilipino tapos kayo ang maguumpisa ng kalokohan aba eh heinous crime sa akin yan. dapat dyan di lang magasawang sampal ang pabaon diyan...dapat sikmuraan din (Saying ‘sorry’ does not cut ice because you took an oath before God and before the Filipino people...later on you commit unpardonable acts that are classified as heinous crimes... what is needed is an unending slap on their faces and blows to the stomach),’’ he told Senate reporters.