Policy changes backed by legislature needed to transform gov’t – Marcos

Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. oversees the signing of an alliance between his political party Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. (Jean Mangaluz / INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines— President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said that policy changes are needed to transform the government.

During the alliance signing of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (CMD) and Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) in Makati City, Marcos said that the executive branch would not be able to change everything on its own.

“Kailangan palitan natin talaga ang patakbo ng pamahalaan. Kailangan natin palitan at pag-isipan, ang ating patakbo ng, kung saan tayo tutungo. And we have to position the Philippines in a way that will take full advantage of the new economy,” said Marcos in his speech.

(We need to change how we run government. We need to change and consider the way we run it and where we are going. And we have to position the Philippines in a way that will take full advantage of the new economy.)

“To do that, we made, we have to make some very, very fundamental structural and policy changes. We cannot do those policy changes without the support of the legislature. Legislative support for any policy is absolutely necessary,” said Marcos.

The alliance between Lakas-CMD and the Marcos –  PFP has been dubbed as the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas. Lakas-CMD— led by Marcos’ cousin, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez— is the largest faction in the House of Representatives, boasting one third of the lawmakers in the lower chamber.

PFP on the other hand, has a large number of local government leaders.

Marcos said that the executive branch needs the help of the legislative branch.

“It’s no longer just the executive who is expected to implement programs or to be part of the economic progress, the part of the development of the country. But we also need the legislative support that will allow us to execute this policy changes that we are seeing, right now,” said Marcos.