Marcos leaves out dictatorship, major issues in inaugural speech —Bayan

The militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Thursday said that while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. talked about the accomplishments of his father, late president Ferdinand Marcos, he omitted mentioning that these happened under a dictatorial rule.

In a statement, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes also pointed out that Marcos' speech was silent on the high prices, low wages, and other issues battering the ordinary Filipinos.

"As expected, Marcos Jr. used his inaugural speech to again praise his father for the latter's so-called legacy, conveniently avoiding the mention of the fascist dictatorship of Marcos," Reyes said.

"He was very selective in what he wanted to highlight with his father's legacy and even those need to be fact-checked and not taken as gospel truth," he added.

In his inaugural speech, Marcos claimed that the late dictator “built more and better roads” and “produced more rice than all administrations before his.”

The old Marcos era was marred by human rights abuses, cronyism, and corruption.

Data from Amnesty International shows that around 70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000 were tortured, and 3,240 were killed during Martial Law.

Reyes also hit Marcos’s remark that he shared the same dream of a safer and more prosperous country with the Filipino people.

“But he omits mention of his privileged position. The major issues such as high oil prices, crushing taxes, low wages, and human rights were altogether ignored or left out,” he said.

The militant leader lamented Marcos has so far failed to give concrete plans on how he will “get things done" amid the problems facing the country.

“The public will have to wait until the incoming regime gets its act together, and even then, we are unsure of the outcome of Marcos’ pronouncements. We should brace ourselves for more of the same,“ Reyes said.

“Indeed, there are no reasons to celebrate this day,” he added.

Meanwhile, farmers group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) lauded Marcos for stressing the importance of food self-sufficiency.

The president earlier said food sufficiency must get the “preferential treatment the riches free-trade countries always gave their agricultural sectors.”

“It is very clear that supporting local production and local agriculture is the marching order.  Everyone must heed that call. Mas mahalaga ang kabuhayan ng magsasakang Pilipino at ang makakain sa hapag ng bawat Pilipino,” SINAG said.

“The new mantra is food self-sufficiency and not importation at all cost that has devastated the country in the last three years,” it added.—LDF, GMA News