Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s presidency has so far been "redeeming" to his family.
Administration ally, Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda gave this assessment Friday, Jan. 20 in an interview on ANC Headstart.
During the interview, host Karen Davila asked Salceda to comment on a statement made by Marcos Wednesday, Jan. 18 that his family's "survival" hinged on his return to politics in the post-EDSA People Power Philippines.
"If you read through it, kaming mga politiko (we politicians), once the mic is in front of us, of course we have to think of what to answer. But if you read through what he has been doing for the past seven months, I think it has been redeeming for his family," the veteran congressman from Bicol said.
He continued: "Redeeming in the sense of the good policies, of the good kind of economic strategy in the Philippine development plan. So I would say that the process of redemption is there."
President Marcos's late father, former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was ousted during the peaceful EDSA revolt in February 1986. This ended the 21-year rule of the strongman.
The Marcos family would live in exile in Hawaii in the United States (US) for the next five years as a result of the upheaval.
While in Davos, Switzerland for the Jan. 16 to 20 World Economic Forum (WEF), President Marcos said of his eventual entry to Philippine politics: "The political issue was Marcos. And for us to defend ourselves politically, somebody had to enter politics and be in the political arena."
"So that at least, not only the legacy of my father but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics,” he added.
HAVE YOU READ THIS?
https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/20/salceda-views-pbbms-successive-foreign-trips-as-international-marketing/
But for Salceda, it's already obvious that the father is different from the son. And President Marcos has been using his recent foreign trips to showcase this difference, the solon said.
"Because the Marcos that the world knew was a very different man, his father, but I think the son, I think he’s presenting himself to be a better version of the father," Salceda said.
Marcos won the presidency in May 2022 via a rare majority vote. He officially assumed the post on June 30, 2022.
Before this, he was elected as Ilocos Norte governor, Ilocos Norte congressman, and senator. He vied for the vice presidency in 2016 but lost in a very close race.