By Tony Lopez
A bold presidency.
That is how I characterize the remaining three years of the six-year stint of President Ferdinand Romualdez “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM), July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2028.
The 17thpresident will have the most memorable and most successful presidencies. Thanks to the aftermath of his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 28, 2025, before Congress in joint session, and before the people on live television.
The 7,370-word fourth SONA took 70 minutes to deliver. It is the best of Marcos Jr.’s four SONAs and one of the most profound, most candid, most stirring accounting efforts by any president during this century on the state of the nation and where it is going.
People are dismayed
Marcos Jr. started his SONA with a bold statement. “The message of the result of the last election is clear,” the President began solemnly in Pilipino. “The people are disappointed and dismayed with the government,” he admitted, “especially as regards basic services.” “The lesson is clear,” the chief executive said, “we have to do better, we have to move faster.”
Talking of data alone, he related, “the economy is in good stead. Business confidence is up, inflation is down, many more were employed.” But, he stressed, “these are nothing but frills or embellishments, meaningless, because our people are suffering, weighed down by burdens of existence.”
Which is why, Marcos said, “in the last three years of this administration, we pour every effort not just to match but exceed the upliftment of the people.” (Applause). No beating around the bush, “our people want a better, meaningful life and effective solutions to poverty and hunger.”
Marcos’s effective solution to most of the nation’s woes: Fight corruption. Like there was no tomorrow. “Mahiya naman kayo” (Have a sense of shame), will be BBM’s anti-corruption slogan, on top of “Tama na, sobra na” (Stop the abuse). Improve efficiency. Severely. Deliver basic services. On time, with total sincerity, completely.
Political will, political capital, political savvy
Can the President do it? Hell, yes. Why? Three main reasons: political will, political capital, political savvy.
One, political will. BBM is determined to do major house cleaning in his governance.
Two, Marcos Jr. retains enormous political capital. In the latest OCTA Research poll of July 12-17, 2025, the President has a nationwide trust rating of 64%—64% in the National Capital Region (NCR), 74 in Balance of Luzon, and 67 in the Visayas. BBM’s trust rating is a super majority in all income classes—60% in ABC, 64 in D, and 66 in E, the lowest income class. The poor, the underprivileged, and the hungry, trust BBM better than the rich and the privileged, the economic elite who have reaped most of the gains of over 6% average economic growth during the first three years of BBM’s presidency. That 6% is among the highest, most robust and most sustained in the whole of Asia.
Filipinos are happy with BBM’s presidency. About 62% of Filipinos are satisfied with his presidency.
Three, in a display of remarkable political savvy, the major perceived political enemies of BBM have all been neutralized.
Digong Duterte in jail
Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has been in jailed since March 11, 2025 in The Hague, awaiting trial for crime against humanity, namely the extrajudicial killing, without due process, of between 7,000 (official police data) and 30,000 (human rights group data).
Digong’s daughter, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, has been impeached by the House, by a vote of 215 congressmen, more than double the required one-third of total congressmen under the Constitution.
Of course, the Senate, under President Chiz Escudero and 13 of the Supreme Court justices, including its chief, think the impeachment case filed Feb. 5, 2025 with the Senate as unconstitutional.
Outrage at Sara
The ploy, however, has triggered a popular outrage. People are mad that Sara Duterte, an heir to the presidency, refuses to account, in public, for her impeachable acts—plotting to kill the President, the First Lady and the Speaker; plunder of P615 million in tax money; unexplained wealth of P2 billion; bribery, graft, and corruption; and unfitness in office and to be voted upon in the future. OCTA says 80% of the people want her tried, by the Senate.
Speaker Martin second most popular official.
Sara has suffered an enormous erosion in trust, from 58% in April 2025 to 54% in July 2025. So has the Senate Teka, Teka, Chiz Escudero, from 55% to 51%. Escudero’s arch political rival, and Sara’s too, is even more popular and better trusted: House Speaker Martin Romualdez whose trust rating moved up, from 54% in April 2025 to 57% in July 2025.
‘Normally, the speaker is the least trusted among elected public officials. Martin today is the second most trusted elected public official.
In public satisfaction with their performance, BBM gained percentage points, from 59% to 62% between April and July 2025; Speaker Martin gained four percentage points, from 55% to 59%. Sara lost a substantial six percentatge points in performance, from 56% to 50%; Escudero, lost four points, from 56% to 50% between April and July 2025.