President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was among the many "heroes" during the super typhoon "Yolanda" tragedy exactly nine years ago.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Leyte’s 1st district representative, gave this description of Marcos Tuesday, Nov. 8 as he introduced him to Tacloban City folk.
The two high-ranking officials were in town to commemorate the Yolanda anniversary.
"Sa lahat po ng nandito lalo na sa ating mahal na Pangulo (To everybody here, especially to our beloved President), our guest of honor, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. Siya po ay isa sa mga bayani noong panahong iyon (He was one of the heroes during that time)," Romualdez said.
"Siya rin ang nandoon namumuno sa mga relief operations at kung hindi siya umiikot, nakalipad siya sa chopper, nagdi-distribute ng nutribun. Hindi niya kami iniwan (He was also there, leading the relief operations and if he wasn't making rounds riding a chopper, he was distributing nutribuns. He never left us)," he further said of Marcos.
Yolanda (international name: Haiyan), one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded, plowed through the country’s central islands on Nov. 8, 2013. Over 6,000 people perished while thousands more were left with no home, livelihood, and hope from the harrowing experience.
Marcos was a senator at that time.
"That is why I’m very very happy, that his compassion, yung malasakit niya po, symbolized the recovery efforts of not just the locals, our regional neighbors as well as our international community as represented now by our diplomatic corps," Romualdez said.
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He further described Marcos as "the one who really led us and gave us hope during those times of seeming desperation," stressing that the latter never left their side.
"That is why, we can see why over 31 million people, and now the 110 million Filipino people that he leads are supporting him because his heart, his compassion is with the Filipino," added Romualdez.
Marcos ran for president during the May 2022 polls. He garnered a jaw-dropping 31 million votes en route to a historic majority mandate.