Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (MANILA BULLETIN, Speaker's office)



Nacionalista Party (NP) stalwart Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers gave President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. a high grade of "8.5 out of 10" for the latter's performance during his first year in Malacañang. "I give President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. a solid grade of 8.5 out of 10," Barbers said Thursday, June 29. The supermajority congressman said that Marcos "four glaring achievements that, in my opinion, earned him this high remark in his first year in office". "First, we saw him and House Speaker Martin Romualdez exert great effort in wooing investors to come to the Philippines and invest. President Marcos has been on a road show. These investments will help provide jobs to Filipinos," Barbers said. "Second," the Mindanaoan continued, "the Philippines has adopted the role of catalyst for peace in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). This is thanks to the very clear position that the Marcos administration has taken as far as the WPS is concerned." "In my opinion, the President has performed the balancing act well and it has been favorable to the interests of the country," Barbers noted. For his third achievement, Marcos, Barbers said, has given priority to infrastructure spending like his predecessor, former president Rodrigo Duterte. "The previous administration's 'Build, Build, Build' program has been seamlessly continued into the Marcos administration’s 'Build, Better, More' initiative. The multiplier effect of these projects will generate jobs, and jobs mean income. This will reduce poverty and mitigate inflation," he said. Finally, Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, cited the Marcos administration for continuing the Duterte administration's stance against illegal drugs. "It's almost the same, President Marcos just gave it a little tweak and employed his own style. He knows that one of the pillars of progress is peace and order," he said. "The recent filing of cases against 50 cops, including high-ranking officials, in connection with the confiscation of P6.7 billion worth of "shabu" last year in Manila shows that President Marcos means business against the drug menace," said the veteran congressman. Marcos assumed the Palace seat on June 30, 2022.