Unlike his predecessors, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is not keen on releasing a report for his first 100 days in office and is actually wondering if it was necessary, newly appointed Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said.
Bersamin said this a week before Marcos marked his 100th day as President on October 7.
In an interview with reporters, the former Chief Justice said Marcos was "ambivalent" about the first 100 days.
"He posed that to us: 'Are we bound to give a report on the 100 days?' Sabi niya (He said), 'Kung 100, bakit hindi 50 (If 100, why not 50)? Have we not done enough?'" Bersamin said, quoting the President.
"Walang pamantayan kung bakit mo kailangan na magreport na (There's nothing that says you need to report about your) first 100 days or not. We agree with him," he added.
Bersamin said President Marcos did not seem like the person who would make a big deal out of such a milestone.
"He has not spoken about it to us, but he really wondered aloud sa amin (to us). Are we really going to observe 100 days?" he said.
"It seems he is not the kind na mag-e-emphasize siya sa 100 days," he added.
Before she resigned from her post, former Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on September 22 that her office was already preparing for the administration's 100th-day report.
Marcos named Bersamin as the new Executive Secretary last week following the resignation of long-time supporter Vic Rodriguez from the post.
'Very inspiring'
From an outsider's perspective, Bersamin described the President's first 100 days as "inspiring." He made this comment while noting that he came in toward the end of the administration's 90th day.
"Very inspiring yung first three months. Nada-divert lang nang kaunti (It was just diverted at some point) because there were turbulences, but common 'yan sa mga (those are common in) new administrations," he said.
According to Bersamin, Marcos' most significant achievement would probably be his trip to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month.
He likewise praised the President for being consistent in his call for unity and not engaging with his detractors.
"He never said anything against those who attacked him. In the campaign, you must remember, very vicious ang atake sa kanya (the attacks against him were vicious). They mounted a vicious attack against the President, but he did not respond to these attacks," Bersamin said.
"That's his true nature. Hindi made-up 'yan, hindi scripted (This is not made up. This is not scripted)," he added.