Marilyn Cahatol

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his 4th annual State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City  on July 28, 2025, flanked by Senate President Francis Escudero (left) and Speaker Martin Romualdez (right). Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176369177581620250728-marcos-sona-congress-JC0790.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his 4th annual State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City  on July 28, 2025, flanked by Senate President Francis Escudero (left) and Speaker Martin Romualdez (right). <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. should face the public and the press as supposed &quot;doubts&quot; on the administration’s transparency build up, a media expert and activist said Friday morning.</p><p>“It&#x27;s possible that Marcos Jr. doesn&#x27;t want to face the public or to face the press at this particular time, but I think it&#x27;s necessary for him to do so. It&#x27;s not enough for Undersecretary Claire Castro to just keep on receiving questions from the media,” UP journalism professor and Kontra Daya Convenor Danilo Arao told ANC’s Headstart. </p><p>This, after former executive secretary Lucas Bersamin said he <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/19/bersamin-says-he-did-not-resign-but-was-told-he-had-to-go-1129">did not resign </a>“out of <em>delicadeza</em>” but was called by someone outside Malacañang to let go of his position.</p><p>Palace reporters sought clarity from the Malacañang on Thursday, but Palace Press Officer Claire Castro <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/20/malaca-ang-refuses-to-disclose-real-reason-for-bersamin-s-removal-1321">refused </a>to disclose the real reason behind Bersamin’s “resignation.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;NOT ENOUGH&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Arao added that Marcos’ newly released video is a “stopgap measure” and “a way to control the narrative.”</p><p>Marcos, in a <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/21/ici-dpwh-info-on-zaldy-romualdez-could-lead-to-graft-plunder-charges-marcos-0724">video </a>uploaded early Friday morning, said the information on the anomalous flood control projects will be referred to the Ombudsman for investigation, involving those concerning former House speaker and his cousin Martin Romualdez and former Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/21/dpwh-set-to-recommend-plunder-raps-vs-martin-romualdez-zaldy-co-0814">DPWH, ICI recommend plunder raps vs Martin Romualdez, Zaldy Co</a></div><p>Arao noted the video failed to provide a proper explanation at a time when the “the palace is under fire, it&#x27;s under siege and they&#x27;re trying to assuage whatever kind of anger various sectors may have.”</p><p>“This doesn&#x27;t bode well for an administration that claims to be transparent and accountable because they are not at this particular time,” he said. </p><p>The government, he said, should instead pass meaningful laws to regain its political capital, including the anti-dynasty law, which has always failed to get the Congress&#x27; approval. </p><p>“We cannot have a situation where both elected and appointed positions are practically monopolized by dynasties. That would be a good confidence-building measure considering that Marcos himself is a member of a political dynasty and a very powerful one at that,” he said. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/18/house-lawmakers-push-for-anti-political-dynasty-law-to-end-toxic-family-drama-1637">House lawmakers push for anti-political dynasty law to end &#x27;toxic family drama&#x27;</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>‘POVERTY ALLEVIATION, SOCIAL JUSTICE’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The government can placate public anger by implementing laws and policies alleviating the lives of the marginalized and underrepresented communities, including a genuine agrarian reform and increasing the minimum wage, Arao said. </p><p>The President should also be present in aiding the immediate needs of Filipinos affected by the recent floods. </p><p>“If you want to be more concrete and more immediate, why not provide immediate compensation to those whose houses were damaged by the floods and those whose loved ones died because of preventable situations.”</p><p>Marcos has visited several provinces affected by the recent typhoons’ onslaught in the recent weeks. Aside from declaring a year-long “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/6/marcos-oks-declaration-state-of-national-calamity-over-tino-upcoming-typhoon-1012">State of National Calamity,</a>” he also ordered the release <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/6/marcos-orders-release-of-p1-307-trillion-in-last-quarter-to-respond-to-calamities-1604">P1.307 trillion</a> of fund in the last quarter of 2025 to aid the flood victims’ needs. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/11/15/marcos-jr-visits-typhoon-victims-in-negros-occidental-1844">Marcos Jr. visits typhoon victims in Negros Occidental</a></div><div> </div><div><strong>‘REACH OUT TO PROTEST ORGANIZERS’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Marcos should reach out to the organizers of the coming big mobilization in November 30 to know what the public demands, especially that the call for his resignation from the highest public post grew louder compared to the September 21 protest, Arao noted. </p><p>“If he wants to be transparent and accountable, why not hold meetings with the organizers of various protest actions on November 30, that&#x27;s one, and listen to the call as to why there are demands for his resignation as well as the vice president,” he said. </p><p>Resignation, Arao said, is among the options Marcos should consider to make his administration “salvageable” amid the several corruption issues plaguing it. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PFAVsa5RfUM?si=7bLqlzDuCf7ZmMJP" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. should face the public and the press as supposed "doubts" on the administration’s transparency build up, a media expert and activist said Friday morning.</p>

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. should face the public and the press as supposed "doubts" on the administration’s transparency build up, a media expert and activist said Friday morning.

Marcos must face public, press as 'Palace is under fire': expert

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Marcos must face public, press as 'Palace is under fire': expert

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 21, 2025 11:13 AM PHT

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Updated Nov 21, 2025 11:39 AM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

corruption

transparency

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