Duterte praises Marcos anew

MANILA, Philippines — President Duterte has again expressed admiration for the late president Ferdinand Marcos, noting how the grand infrastructure built during the Marcos years remain a bastion of the country’s pride until today. 

“Alam ninyo sa totoo lang, sa lahat ng mga naging presidente, sinong presidente ang may mga nagawa na makikita natin? Marcos lang (You know, of all the presidents, who has projects that are still visible until today? It’s only Marcos),” he said in a speech during a rally of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago-Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HNP-HTL) at the Davao City Recreation Center last Friday. 

He noted that Marcos built a legacy while many leaders did nothing except for unfulfilled promises for the Filipino people. He gave credit to the former strongman for building the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine International Convention Center and Manila’s light rail transit system.

“Mayroon siyang ipinakita. Ang iba? Puro salita. Puro saway (He has showed something. The rest? It’s all talk, all criticisms),” Duterte added as he took potshots against other politicians.

Duterte’s father, Vicente, became a long-time governor of then a unified province of Davao during the Marcos regime. But his mother, Soledad, also known as Nanay Soling, became part of the “Yellow Friday Movement,” which was against Marcos’ rule in Mindanao.  

A vocal political ally of the Marcoses, it was shortly after Duterte assumed office that the government allowed the former dictator to be buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani on Nov. 18, 2016, ending the decades of debate on the matter.

During his political speeches, Duterte had openly recognized the Marcoses led by its matriarch, former first lady Imelda Marcos, along with siblings Gov. Imee Marcos and former senator Bongbong Marcos, as among the few political personalities who supported his presidential bid.

Imee is now running for senator under the administration PDP-Laban, which was set to hold its miting de avance last night at Ultra in Pasig.