TRANSCRIPT | Newsbreak Chats: Marcos brand of leadership, what to expect during his midterm

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos faces numerous challenges, and chief among them is the fallout and escalating hostility with his former ally, Vice President Sara Duterte.

The ongoing animosity between the Marcos and Duterte factions has already left its mark on Marcos’ presidency with the public now closely watching how this rift will shape the political landscape as the crucial midterm elections near. The coming years and the political turmoil that exists will also be a litmus test for Marcos’ leadership, especially as he reaches halfway through his presidential term.

Rappler investigative editor Chay Hofileña sat down with executive editor Glenda Gloria, managing editor Miriam Grace Go, and editor-at-large Marites Vitug in the very last episode of Newsbreak Chats titled, “What will 2024’s PH political chaos mean for 2025?” It aired weeks before the year ended, on December 12, 2024, touching on the leadership of the President, other hot issues, and how these impact on the country.

The following are highlights lifted from the Taglish transcript of the Newsbreak Chats episode. Also edited for brevity and clarity. Watch the full episode here.

Chay Hofileña: Talon tayo sa leadership. What are your thoughts on leadership?

Marites Vitug: Leadership? I’ll just start with [President Ferdinand Marcos Jr]. Sa tingin ko, he’s a weak leader. I mean, I don’t want a strongman leader like Duterte, or like his father, but he’s weak in the sense na kulang siya sa pagka-decisive. Tapos [you need] to rein in your Cabinet — for example, the security cluster or whoever is in that team, to be able to say, to give a common message — especially in the light of China as the big bully. So iba-iba kasi iyong messaging at saka ang daming bureaucratic rivalries na hindi niya ma-tame. So when I said this to a friend, si Bongbong hindi naman decisive. Buti nga, kung decisive, magkaka-martial law tayo. [But] I didn’t mean that authoritarian, I meant someone who, for the country’s common good, will pull things together. 

Chay Hofileña: Someone who has a vision, I guess.

Marites Vitug: Yes, siguro nga. Kasi up to now, wala akong nakikitang long-term or medium-term strategic thinking on how we will stand up to China. Hindi na puwedeng statement here, protest there. There has to be something long-term.

Glenda Gloria: Siguro sa leadership, I’m always reminded of Fidel Ramos. When you’re a leader, you take the long view. Of course, you have tactics that you need to apply to get what you want or you want to achieve. Pero in the end, may north star ka. So hindi ko nakikita kung may north star ang current leaders.

Chay Hofileña: Ano nga iyong slogan ni FVR?

Glenda Gloria: Unity, Solidarity, Teamwork. Philippines 2000 is the eco-socio-political roadmap. And bibingka na iyong apoy is both from the bottom and top. Pero siya kasi, alam mo na meron siyang roadmap and may mga tactical iyan. Nagpa-charter change siya. But you know, he’s far removed from it. He forged a peace agreement with the [Moro National Liberation Front]. Pero long view. Pati kung House speaker ka, dapat may long view ka, hindi puwedeng panay ano lang, ‘di ba? Very short-term tayo eh. Kaya ganito ang bayan na ito.

Marites Vitug: Masyadong nasa social media ang mga politicians.

Glenda Gloria: Isa pa iyon. 

Miriam Grace Go: Sabi nga, populist just appearing on social media. Ako ang tingin ko naman sa Marcos admin, it’s been like two-and-a-half years of not rooting out the remnants of the past administration na nag-undermine sa current administration. You have to admit and face the reality na may malisya iyong kampo ng [Vice President Sara Duterte] from the beginning. Kasi naagaw mo sa kanya iyong supposedly presidency na kanya na…Pag upo mo pa lang, tanggalin mo na ang mga general sa Philippine National Police, iyong mga nasa gabinete mo, iyong nag-undermine sa kanya. Tapos hindi pa nga siya decisive, eh di mas lalo tayong nagkagulo.

Chay Hofileña: Middle child eh.

Miriam Grace Go: So siguro he should stop the accommodations.

Glenda Gloria: Baka kapag napanood niya tayo, he’ll be decisive and he’ll like, you know, issue extreme orders like shut down the media or something. Mr. President, we don’t mean that.

Marites Vitug: At saka Mr. President, di ba you’re risk averse?

On what the midterm can bring to Marcos

Chay Hofileña: So midterm na ang Marcos administration, parang halfway na eh. Pero parang di natin masyadong naramdaman kung ano man iyong achievements. Ano ba iyong dapat pa niyang i-prioritize siguro, especially since we’re approaching an election year next year. He has three years to implement whatever programs na dapat pagtuunan ng pansin. Ano ba dapat unahin sa dami ng problema at kaguluhan?

Marites Vitug: I think una dapat, although hindi ako expert sa economy, is the inflation. I mean, people are feeling the effects of inflation. And look what happened sa America. Inflation hit them. Kahit na macroeconomy, maganda ang kanilang economic picture, inflation pa rin ang one of the big factors na natalo iyong Democrats, among many others. So I think iyon ang magiging problema ni Bongbong. How does he wiggle? What can the government do to curb or tame inflation? So number one iyon. Ang tingin ko sa number two, I don’t know kung this is too idealistic, but the political party reform bill has been pending in Congress for, I don’t know, years?

Glenda Gloria: Naku, Mother, parang Mount Everest naman ‘yan.

Marites Vitug: Hindi ko na alam kasi, look, we’re having so many dynasties, di ba? So is this a given? How do we reform our political system? So baka hindi naman priority yan ni President Marcos dahil he belongs to the dynasty.

Miriam Grace Go: Di ba sa local, sinasabi natin iyong patronage, o, kapag binigyan mo ng scholarship ‘yan, isang buong pamilya na ‘yan na laging boboto sa ’yo. Baka gawin, itaas mo iyong sa national. If the government can address the top concerns of every family, so iyong makakabili ako lagi ng pagkain, and I can send my kids to school at may trabaho ako, and then we’re all healthy or we can afford na magpagamot kapag may sakit kami. Iyong apat na yon, ‘pag in-address mo at naramdaman sa baba, the families will be forever indebted to you. Kasi di ba, although eventually naging myth nga na golden years, ang Marcos era before, eh di ba dun nanggagaling iyong matatanda whenever they defend the old Marcos administration? Kasi naranasan nila iyong early years na life was really good for the ordinary family. Natatandaan ng tao kapag iyong basic needs nila iyong natugunan mo.

Glenda Gloria: Siguro critical that the President enters his midterm as well. In every midterm kasi kung babalikan mo all the presidents after the old Marcos, doon may reality check. So on your third year, either crisis, iyong mga things that you neglected in your first three years in office will come back to haunt you when you’re entering midterm. [Former president Benigno Aquino III] had that. Zamboanga crisis. Well, of course, pumasok din iyong Yolanda. Ang daming naging crisis ni PNoy noong 2013. So, I think there’s that. Kailangan paghandaan ni Marcos iyon. And he has lessons from previous presidents, how they handled crises that hit midterm. Bibigay ‘yan eh, wala na iyong honeymoon stay, wala na. This is your reality check.

Related to that, if he wants to ensure continuity for 2028, then he will want to make sure that kung sino man i-endorse niya ng 2028, will win, di ba? And walang nagtagumpay na presidente na ganoon, except Cory [Aquino], when she endorsed Ramos. Ramos endorsed [Jose] de Venecia. Why? The Filipinos want an out… Laging anti-thesis siya. The incumbent is always booted out by the Filipino. So, iyon ang problema ni Marcos. Now unless he does well.… That’s his challenge.

Philippines as ‘inherently a fascist society’

Chay Hofileña: Are we in a better place?

Marites Vitug: Oh, definitely, because we came from hell.

Miriam Grace Go: Hindi nga ba, lagi naman nating sinasabi [na] anybody, pagkagaling kay Duterte, would be better.

Chay Hofileña: Pero bakit si Duterte — whether it’s Sara, the father — ang daming criticism pero popular pa rin?

Glenda Gloria: Well, kasi we are inherently a fascist society, sa totoo lang. Tayo naman nagpapanggap na may democratic culture and tradition. Sure, meron, pero it’s very feudal. Very feudal si Duterte. Iyong Dutertismo mo is feudal, patron, di ba? Ang climate of fear, diktador, may mga ganoon tayong tendencies. And he plays to that…quick fixes. Wala iyan, demokrasya, mahabang proseso, di ba? Tapos ang pagka-patron niya is may kasamang kamay na bakal. Why do warlords thrive, is the question. He’s a modern day warlord lang naman.

Chay Hofileña: Any other thoughts?

Marites Vitug: Si Duterte, he appeals to even the poorest of our society. Because they say that he has no filter. Authentic siya. He will address your needs. So, it’s really the populist leader na naging successful. And then, he was trying to, he rallied the people successfully against an enemy, the drug lord, the drug addict. So, na-rally niya…

Chay Hofileña: Klaro iyong kaaway.

Marites Vitug: Oo. Very clear. And then, na-reverse niya iyong narrative on human rights. That was the most, sa akin, shocking na human rights din daw iyong advocacy niya. Kasi he’s protecting the human rights of those who are fighting the drug users. So, wow — how he changed our narrative and he made crime our number one problem, pero hindi naman crime.

Chay Hofileña: Or because he had his ears close to the ground, naka-relate. Natunugan niya when others dumaan lang sa surveys, na baka hindi rin na-capture iyong crime as a concern. – Rappler.com