By TONY LOPEZ
This 2026 is a watershed year for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Romualdez Marcos Jr. (BBM), a decisive year of either great achievements or great disappointments, an annus mirabilis or an annus horribilis.
This early, the signs are daunting and easily intimidate the faint of heart and low in spirits. Unless he makes the right moves now, BBM risks being declared by history as the most unpopular president, one who presided over the largest and most widespread corruption in our annals.
The Marcos and Romualdez genes
But BBM is of a different mettle. Inherent in his DNA are the best—and the worst—of his genes, from two great dynasties—Marcos and Romualdez. In his Marcos DNA are the gravitas of statesmanship and brinkmanship. In Romualdez are the genes of mastery of finance, business, and diplomacy. The Romualdezes are survivors.
Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr. shortened the lease on American bases, from 99 to 25 and told the Americans to pay rent for their use. He recognized China, on June 9, 1975, even before other Asian leaders did; remarkable given that four years earlier, the Philippines had voted against PR China’s UN membership. This is the reason why early in his presidency, BBM declared China cannot find a friendlier president than him. Besides, Marcos Jr.’s parents were full bloodied Chinese. In a crunch, the Chinese follow the beacon of their genes and upbringing—they are Chinese and love and help their own kind.
Marcos Sr. initiatives
Marcos Sr. was also among the first of Asian leaders to visit Moscow, in June 1976, to formalize diplomatic relations with the then USSR. Marcos Sr. had a bold foreign policy. He is the first to declare genuine land reform, with land titles were given farmer tenants. He broke up the ruling oligarchies of his time and consolidated power no president before him had done, ruling for 20 years, 14 of them under martial law or strongman rule.
The Romualdezes, meanwhile, see danger—and opportunity—when they see any and quickly capitalize on it. They are the grandmasters of the political give and take.
Kokoy Romualdez defects
On the first day of People Power Feb. 22, 1986, one of the very first to defect was Ambassador to the US Kokoy Romualdez. That is why the family was never harassed, unlike other cronies. Kokoy also amassed awesome wealth the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), despite years of trying, could not pin down, sequester nor recover.
In a youtube interview, US-trained lawyer PCGG commissioner Ruben Carranza relates how he tried to recover several millions of Romualdez Swiss deposits. He got only $12 million, money that helped bankroll the P10 billion reparations program for so-called human rights victims of Marcos.
Before this reparations thing, a Hawaii court could count no more than 8,000 human rights victims of Marcos. When the Noynoy Aquino government started paying millions to every Tomas, Juana and Kulasa who claimed they were victims, the number of victims swelled uncontrollably to more than 12,000.
Today, the Romualdez wealth is formidable, acquired legally, and by some other means better unnarrated.
So who is BBM this year? A Marcos or a Romualdez? My guess is—Marcos Jr. will be a bit of both, one capable of wielding the best—and the worst—of the extreme attributes of his two clans. It’s good that BBM has a sister named Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios Romualdez Marcos. Imee gives BBM a good practice in being bad—and being good. You know the rule. The best offense and the best defense are—home-made.
Nadir
BBM is at the nadir of public approval and trust ratings as president, lower than the ratings of all previous presidents, except Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, down from high 80s early in his presidency, to negative today: -27% net approval rating per Publicus, -15% net trust rating per Pulse Asia, and -03% net trust rating, per the Social Weather Stations.
Such unheard of depths in loss of trust and public approval are ironic given that Marcos Jr. is the only president since Marcos Sr. in 1966 to have won by a majority vote, beating Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Arroyo, and Rodrigo Duterte, all of whom were plurality presidents, if indeed, they actually won. Per the official Comelec count and Batasan canvass, Cory Aquino lost the 1986 snap presidential election.
Two major problems
BBM’s two major problems this year are China and flood control corruption. With China, reports indicate both Manila and Beijing are making overtures of rapprochement. No less than President Trump has advised our President make friends with China. Trump himself will visit China this April.
Per Pulse Asia’s December 2025 survey, only 30% trust Marcos Jr. to address flood control corruption. Almost half of the people, 48%, say he cannot be trusted to go after the corrupt in flood control projects.
Per Pulse Asia September 2025 survey, 97 of every 100 Filipinos believe corruption is rampant under the BBM administration and has gotten worse, so bad that 59% believe corruption normal in our politics.
Corrupt acts include: Accepting or giving bribes (75% say so), misuse of public funds or company resources (67%), and offering or receiving kickbacks (64%) are corrupt acts. Nearly half of the adult population (49%) identifies insider trading or financial fraud as an act of corruption.
Also corrupt acts are: evading taxes or regulatory requirements (41%); nepotism or favoritism in hiring or promotion (38%); and non-disclosure of conflicts of interest (27%).
Talk to Martin Romualdez
How does BBM erase all those bad beliefs about corruption? By one single act, and he knows it.
Presidential-in-law Cong. Toby Tiangco relates a meeting among BBM, Speaker Martin Romualdez and himself in November 2024, eight months before the flood-gate blew in the public mind.
In that meeting, BBM asked Martin: “Just how many more Forbes mansions, how many more Ferraris, and how much more caviar to eat will it take to stop the corruption?”
“For the first time, I saw the President angry!” exclaimed Toby to his wife.