OPINION
Ed Javier
The Public Has Spoken. Will The President Listen?
Photo credit: Bongbong Marcos
The Public Has Spoken. Will the President Listen?
In our last piece, we analyzed how the 2025 midterm elections became a quiet cry of protest, a voter rebellion born out of frustration, disillusionment, and one that signaled growing discontent with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s leadership and political strategy.
That rebellion didn’t end at the ballot box. Its most immediate consequence is the looming Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
But that’s not the full story.
Beyond the Senate floor and the spectacle of impeachment lies a deeper problem: a growing sense that President Marcos Jr. is increasingly disconnected from the public pulse.
His declining trust and approval ratings, the resounding defeat of his senatorial bets, and the apparent lack of control over his political coalition all point to a presidency in urgent need of recalibration.
There are whispers in political corridors, growing louder by the day, that the President needs to overhaul the leadership in the House of Representatives.
The impeachment of VP Sara was seen by many as instigated by the President’s cousin and current House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Whether fair or not, the public perception is that PBBM could not or would not, rein in his own family.
That perception has fed into a broader narrative of weakness, entitlement, and mismanagement.
To be fair, the Marcos administration has done a lot of things, some of them even bold and commendable. But it has not been communicated properly and that’s unfair to PBBM.
When accomplishments are drowned out by noise, missteps, and spin, the administration suffers not only from poor messaging but from a false narrative that becomes reality.
The problem is not merely political, it’s managerial. The President’s inner circle, particularly his communications team, is viewed as out of touch.
His chief public face, instead of shielding the President, has become a lightning rod for criticism, often defining the administration in ways that alienate rather than engage.
It's a dangerous thing when your primary messenger causes more harm than good, and yet is allowed to continue uncorrected.
The first step to real leadership is humility.
There must be an acknowledgment by the President himself that things have gone wrong.
As in medicine, no cure is possible unless the patient first admits he is sick. How can the doctor heal you if you refuse to admit you're unwell?
Denial delays recovery. In politics, it can be fatal.
President Marcos Jr. must now show the country that he is capable of adjusting course. That means making difficult decisions.
Veteran political observers are clear: replacing the Speaker of the House isn’t betrayal, it’s a necessary course correction.
President Marcos Jr. gave his cousin every opportunity to lead, but not only did he fail to rise to the moment, he became a magnet for criticism and a symbol of everything wrong with the administration’s priorities.
To cite a few, the TUPAD, AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations), MAIP (Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients), and other ayuda programs, meant to support the most vulnerable, were reportedly exploited by congressmen closely aligned with the Speaker, turning social welfare into political capital.
The impeachment attempt against Vice President Sara Duterte, instead of weakening her, backfired and exposed deep fractures within the ruling coalition.
Even the House’s own conduct came under fire.
Members of the so-called “QuadComm,” handpicked loyalists of the Speaker, were perceived as abusive, often shouting at invited resource persons during hearings, and at times even threatening them with contempt or jail time simply for giving answers or facial expressions they didn’t like.
This display of arrogance and intimidation further damaged the institution’s credibility in the public eye.
Clinging to the current Speaker now only reinforces the perception that loyalty to family outweighs duty to the people.
Congress may be running, but to the public, it’s running in service of the powerful few, not the nation.
Likewise, as previously mentioned, the communications arm of Malacañang must be overhauled. What the public craves is not spin, but empathy. Not technical jargon, but truth.
They want to see and hear a leader who understands their struggles, who can feel the mood in the countryside, and who respects their intelligence.
The current team has failed to deliver that connection. A new voice is needed, one that communicates not just policy, but sincerity.
To be clear, this is not about being pro or anti-Marcos. This is about being pro-change, pro-country, pro-results.
A democracy functions best when its leaders are responsive to public sentiment, not insulated from it.
The 2025 midterms were not a defeat engineered by enemies. They were a message sent by the Filipino people.
The question is whether the President is willing to listen and to lead accordingly. The solutions are not complicated.
First, reshuffle the House leadership to regain moral and political footing.
Second, replace the communications team with individuals who can read the room, connect with the public, and articulate a coherent vision.
Third, rebuild political capital not through intimidation or spin but through honest engagement and visible reform.
Fourth, stop viewing criticism as betrayal. It is, more often than not, a warning signal from those who still care.
The good news is that BBM still has time. The 2028 elections are not yet written. But time is running out.
The longer the President delays in making hard decisions, the more he empowers his rivals and deepens public disillusionment.
If the Senate ultimately acquits VP Sara, as the numbers now suggest it will, then the Palace will have suffered not only a political loss but a strategic humiliation.
That’s avoidable. But only if the President acts now.
The public has spoken. Loudly.
The question is: is the President ready to listen and lead or will he opt for business as usual, protect the status quo, and watch his coalition crumble under the weight of public frustration?
The choice is yours, Mr. President.
In our last piece, we analyzed how the 2025 midterm elections became a quiet cry of protest, a voter rebellion born out of frustration, disillusionment, and one that signaled growing discontent with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s leadership and political strategy.
That rebellion didn’t end at the ballot box. Its most immediate consequence is the looming Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
But that’s not the full story.
Beyond the Senate floor and the spectacle of impeachment lies a deeper problem: a growing sense that President Marcos Jr. is increasingly disconnected from the public pulse.
His declining trust and approval ratings, the resounding defeat of his senatorial bets, and the apparent lack of control over his political coalition all point to a presidency in urgent need of recalibration.
There are whispers in political corridors, growing louder by the day, that the President needs to overhaul the leadership in the House of Representatives.
The impeachment of VP Sara was seen by many as instigated by the President’s cousin and current House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Whether fair or not, the public perception is that PBBM could not or would not, rein in his own family.
That perception has fed into a broader narrative of weakness, entitlement, and mismanagement.
To be fair, the Marcos administration has done a lot of things, some of them even bold and commendable. But it has not been communicated properly and that’s unfair to PBBM.
When accomplishments are drowned out by noise, missteps, and spin, the administration suffers not only from poor messaging but from a false narrative that becomes reality.
The problem is not merely political, it’s managerial. The President’s inner circle, particularly his communications team, is viewed as out of touch.
His chief public face, instead of shielding the President, has become a lightning rod for criticism, often defining the administration in ways that alienate rather than engage.
It's a dangerous thing when your primary messenger causes more harm than good, and yet is allowed to continue uncorrected.
The first step to real leadership is humility.
There must be an acknowledgment by the President himself that things have gone wrong.
As in medicine, no cure is possible unless the patient first admits he is sick. How can the doctor heal you if you refuse to admit you're unwell?
Denial delays recovery. In politics, it can be fatal.
President Marcos Jr. must now show the country that he is capable of adjusting course. That means making difficult decisions.
Veteran political observers are clear: replacing the Speaker of the House isn’t betrayal, it’s a necessary course correction.
President Marcos Jr. gave his cousin every opportunity to lead, but not only did he fail to rise to the moment, he became a magnet for criticism and a symbol of everything wrong with the administration’s priorities.
To cite a few, the TUPAD, AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations), MAIP (Medical Assistance for Indigent Patients), and other ayuda programs, meant to support the most vulnerable, were reportedly exploited by congressmen closely aligned with the Speaker, turning social welfare into political capital.
The impeachment attempt against Vice President Sara Duterte, instead of weakening her, backfired and exposed deep fractures within the ruling coalition.
Even the House’s own conduct came under fire.
Members of the so-called “QuadComm,” handpicked loyalists of the Speaker, were perceived as abusive, often shouting at invited resource persons during hearings, and at times even threatening them with contempt or jail time simply for giving answers or facial expressions they didn’t like.
This display of arrogance and intimidation further damaged the institution’s credibility in the public eye.
Clinging to the current Speaker now only reinforces the perception that loyalty to family outweighs duty to the people.
Congress may be running, but to the public, it’s running in service of the powerful few, not the nation.
Likewise, as previously mentioned, the communications arm of Malacañang must be overhauled. What the public craves is not spin, but empathy. Not technical jargon, but truth.
They want to see and hear a leader who understands their struggles, who can feel the mood in the countryside, and who respects their intelligence.
The current team has failed to deliver that connection. A new voice is needed, one that communicates not just policy, but sincerity.
To be clear, this is not about being pro or anti-Marcos. This is about being pro-change, pro-country, pro-results.
A democracy functions best when its leaders are responsive to public sentiment, not insulated from it.
The 2025 midterms were not a defeat engineered by enemies. They were a message sent by the Filipino people.
The question is whether the President is willing to listen and to lead accordingly. The solutions are not complicated.
First, reshuffle the House leadership to regain moral and political footing.
Second, replace the communications team with individuals who can read the room, connect with the public, and articulate a coherent vision.
Third, rebuild political capital not through intimidation or spin but through honest engagement and visible reform.
Fourth, stop viewing criticism as betrayal. It is, more often than not, a warning signal from those who still care.
The good news is that BBM still has time. The 2028 elections are not yet written. But time is running out.
The longer the President delays in making hard decisions, the more he empowers his rivals and deepens public disillusionment.
If the Senate ultimately acquits VP Sara, as the numbers now suggest it will, then the Palace will have suffered not only a political loss but a strategic humiliation.
That’s avoidable. But only if the President acts now.
The public has spoken. Loudly.
The question is: is the President ready to listen and lead or will he opt for business as usual, protect the status quo, and watch his coalition crumble under the weight of public frustration?
The choice is yours, Mr. President.
May 19, 2025
We are dedicated storytellers with a passion for bringing your brand to life. Our services range from news and media features to brand promotion and collaborations.
Interested? Visit our
Contact Us page for more information. To learn more about what we offer, check out our latest article on services and opportunities.
