He has spoken up on the ongoing political matters of the state.
On the last day of his four-day state visit to Japan on Friday, May 29, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. finally responded to the multiple political issues in the Philippines.
Among those he reacted to was the incident inside the Senate building last May 13, when the Senate’s Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA), led by its acting chief Mao Aplasca, fired at members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Marcos, who was a former senator himself, said that he “watched with horror” the events at the Senate in the past few weeks.
“I watched with horror that the Senate has become this. I looked at my other fellow senators,” adding that he also asked Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, another former senator, about how different is the upper chamber these days.
Marcos also said he has already learned that the gun-related incident was “fake.”
“Nagbago eh. Tapos narating pa tayo sa putukan. Tapos fake pala ‘yung putukan. Tapos hindi ko maintindihan,” he said. “And I never imagined that the Senate would descend into this kind of what’s happening right now.”
Marcos was referring to the prior statement made by authorities that told that the footages of the incident showed that the Senate was not under attack, as claimed by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano the day after.
Although, it was not categorically said that the gunfire was staged, as claimed by critics and some members of the public.
His comments come after a tumultuous period in the Senate as an institution, which included a number of conflicts between the senators themselves and the disappearance of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, after being holed up inside the building from May 11 until the early hours of May 14.
Most recently, the minority bloc walked out following the proposal to allow online voting, which the likes of Senator Erwin Tulfo had already called as a move that seeks to benefit members of the chamber who are facing possible arrests for their involvement in other cases.
Marcos lamented that the Senate, which should have been debating about policies and national issues, had been reduced to exchanging personal attacks.
“Naging personal. Ang babaw na nang usapan,” sakd Marcos, who looked back on his time as a senator.
He tnen directly called the Senate as one that is “now sheltering fugitives from justice,” specifically referring to its decision to place Dela Rosa under protective custody before his disappearance.
“How did that happen? I don’t understand how a Senate is supposed to function if those are the kind of things that the Senate is embroiled in,” he continued as he shared his hope that the senators will “figure it out soon.”
ON THE ONLINE VOTING
Meanwhile, he also directly voiced out his opposition against the proposal to allow online voting in the Senate, which he called a move that will favor Dela Rosa.
“I do not see any particularly good reason for us to allow it now,” said Marcos, who noted that such practice was only allowed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It seems that it will only be applicable to Senator Bato, para makaboto si Senator Bato dahil nagtatago siya,” the President added. “For someone who is actually a fugitive from justice…palagay ko hindi siya dapat bumoto hanggang dumating siya sa Senado.”
For PBBM, who emphasized the Senate’s tradition of in-person voting, “…simple lang ang question, dapat bang bumoto ang senador kung hindi siya sumipot?“
“Sa aking palagay, hindi dapat. Kung talagang importante sa iyong makaboto, dumating ka sa Senado.”
NOT TARGETING MAJORITY BLOC
He also categorically denied targeting members of the Senate majority bloc, whose members are now facing legal cases or having raps filed against them.
Noting that the cases were already being built up even before they became the new majority bloc, Marcos said, “It was because of the allegations that were made and the investigations that were conducted upon learning of those allegations against kung sino man.”
“Ngayon, nandito na at dahan-dahan lumalabas na ang katotohanan… At ang pinakamaganda, kung talagang may kaso, kung sila ba naman ay walang ginawang mali, ay lalabas naman ‘yan sa pagsusuri ng paghusga,” he furthered.
He also said that as investigations continue into those implicated in the flood control corruption case, the government will seek prosecution.
NO ELECTION IN 2028 ALLEGATION NOT TRUE, TURNING DOWN POLITICAL HEAT
He then directly shut down the claims of his estranged sister, Senator Imee Marcos, that there will be no elections in 2028 and directly classified it as “fake news.”
“You know, fake news hurts everyone. Not only those that fake news is attacking, but also those who are purveying that fake news.”
He also said that there was never a time that he discussed with anyone such plans ad emphasized that “fake news is a corrosive influence in all sectors of the society.”
Lastly, when asked on how he plans to turn down the political heat in the country, Marcos distanced himself as he said that he was not that one who turned it up in the first place.
“I have never turned up the political heat. I have never attacked anyone. I have never put down anyone. I have never declared war on any political group whatsoever. All I do is work,” Marcos emphasized.
“So, those who have raised the heat, those who are making all kinds of preposterous allegations, they have increased the heat, the political heat. Only they can turn it down,” he added.
Marcos has since returned to the Philippines following his state visit, landing in Manila early evening on Friday.