President Marcos said he distinguishes between two types of critics—those driven by genuine policy concerns and those who oppose him purely for political reasons.
The two kinds of critics, according to President Marcos
At A Glance
- President Marcos welcomes criticism from those who disagree with government policies and believes in engaging them through dialogue.
- President Marcos acknowledges the existence of critics driven by political motives but states that there is little that can be done to change their stance.
- President Marcos stresses that lawbreakers must be held accountable for their actions.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Bongbong Marcos/YouTube)
In his latest vlog, the President said he welcomes criticism from people who sincerely disagree with the government’s policies.
"Gustong-gusto ko nakikinig sa mga kritiko ko eh. Kasi iniisip ko, baka isa dyan—kahit mahirap pakinggan minsan—meron dyan kritiko mo na tama, eh (I really like listening to my critics because sometimes—even if it's hard to hear—one of them might actually be right)," he said.
"Dapat makinig ka rin eh (You have to listen)," he added.
Marcos said those kinds of critics deserve to be engaged through dialogue.
"Kailangan natin makipag-usap sa kanila. Dahil sasabihin, paliwanag mo yung side mo. Malay mo, tama sila, mali ka. May matutunan ka (We need to talk to them. They will tell you to explain your side. Maybe it turns out they're right and you're not. You'll learn something)," he said.
"Baka nga merong mas magandang polisiya na pwedeng gawin (There might really be a better policy we can adopt)," he added.
However, President Marcos drew the line at those criticizing out of political rivalry rather than principle.
"Yung isang klase naman, lahat na lang ng gawin mo, kinakalaban ka lang dahil sa politika (The other type, they oppose everything you do just because of politics)," he said.
"So, yun, wala ka nang magagawa doon (There's nothing more you can do with that)," he added.
Marcos said he still tries to explain the government’s position to them, but does not expect them to change their minds.
"Basta kontra sila sayo. Lahat ng gawin mo, mali (They're just against you. Everything you do is wrong)," he said.
"Subukan mong magpaliwanag pero, wala akong masyado, hindi ko na masyadong inaasahan na magbabago (I try to explain it to them but I don't expect them to agree)," he added.
Meanwhile, the President stressed the need for accountability when dealing with lawbreakers.
"Yung mga lumalabag sa batas, ano gagawin natin? Lumalabag ka sa batas eh. Kailangan may pananagutan ka (What can we do about those who break the law? You broke the law, so you must be held accountable)," he said.
Marcos said most violations result in victims, and justice must be served for the country to move forward.
"Napaka-importante 'yan kasi pagka wala niyan, hindi natin maipatakbo ang lahat nang nais gawin (That’s very important because without it, we can’t implement the things we want to achieve)," he said.