For the first time since he assumed the presidency on 30 June 2022, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. granted an exclusive one-on-one sit-down interview with actress and television host Toni Gonzaga at the Malacañang Palace — his home once again after 36 years.

The President talked about a range of issues — his family's estate tax issues, lifting the country out of poverty, and the war against drugs — and shed tears when he talked about his late father.

Here are the excerpts of the interview aired over ALLTV:

'The Second President Marcos'

Toni Gonzaga Soriano (TGS): When you hear the word "president" attached to your first name, how does that make you feel?

President Bongbong Marcos (PBBM): Again, it's very hard to describe. Noong sa umpisa siyempre noong sinasabi "President Marcos" sa isip ko si President Marcos tatay ko 'yung tinutukoy nila? "Mr. President", hinanap ko si Mr. President kung sino 'yung kinakausap nila. But I guess you just get used to it kasi nandiyan ang trabaho and that's the way the work is done. You have many decisions to make. There's much study to do. Marami kang kailangan… So that keeps you busy so hindi mo na iniisip 'yun. Pero pagka kung minsan mayroon pa ring ano lalo na pagka mga ambassador, "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the Republic of the Philippines…" Iyong parang "uy, ako 'yun."
TGS: Kayo na 'yun.

PBBM: Ako pala 'yun.

TGS: Alam niyo may sinabi 'yung mother ninyo, our former First Lady Imelda Marcos, she said: "The presidency is destiny." When you were growing up, naramdaman niyo ba that you would become the President of the country?

PBBM: Well, ang naririnig ko noong bata ako and I was still very young, I am talking about single-digit young. You know I'm talking about eight years old, seven years old. And I think I've described it before because my father was so dominant in the political arena.

Ako naman sinasabi ko hindi na ako papasok diyan. In fact, umiiwas talaga ako sa pulitika eh. Well, circumstances are what they are, I ended up here. Para sa akin hindi 'yung ano eh "gusto kong maging presidente kahit na anong mangyari basta 'yan lang ang gagawin ko sa buong buhay ko magpi-presidente ako." It was never like that. It was really more like well nandito na ako, napunta na ako sa pulitika. Iyon. Sabi ko eh nandito na tayo eh. Sabi ko sa sarili ko pagbutihan mo na lang. Just keep going, just keep going as far as you can take it until we reached the presidency.

TGS: The presidency.

PBBM: Natatawa ako kung minsan I see the commentary "pinagplanuhan nila ng taon-taon ito, it's a long-term plan."

TGS: The truth is?

PBBM: I'd like to talk to them and say you know you give us too much credit. If only you knew all the stumbling blocks that came our way, all our mistakes.

TGS: Sinasabi po nila, everything that happens in your life is a preparation for where you will be in the next chapter. What do you think prepared you for the presidency?

PBBM: I think if ever anything prepared me for not only being governor or congressman or a senator but being President, I don't know if I'm wholly prepared, but I have some preparation, you know that I can put in my belt and that's just watching my father and watching what he did. I lived in this House. I was with him. It's like going to a masterclass. How is this done? How do you run a country?

31-M votes

TGS: Did you expect the 31 million?

PBBM: I didn't allow myself to do that. Throughout the campaign, I said, "you relax. You're not going to win yet."

TGS: Kahit na you're number one sa lahat ng surveys?

PBBM: Oo, survey pa lang 'yan. Hindi pa boto 'yan. Ganoon ako lagi eh. Kahit na maganda 'yung numero, kahit na maganda ang response ng tao sabi ko hindi pa, wala pa 'yung eleksyon. So when we were watching the figures, I said well so far it makes sense and I kept telling — "congratulations". Sabi ko "hindi huwag muna mag-congratulations" until our own canvassers were saying ang natira ngayon na boto is 12 million. Kahit mapunta lahat sa kalaban 'yan, panalo ka pa rin.

TGS: Kahit pagsama-samahin 'yung boto ng kalaban ninyo.

PBBM: Oo, kahit na sa… Doon, that was the only point na

TGS: Naramdaman niyo, ito na 'yun.

PBBM: — na sabi ko, mukhang panalo tayo.

TGS: What made you cry when you won?

PBBM: It was the reaction of all our supporters that it was so profoundly felt that — God — you know, it's something that we cannot take lightly. You were there during the campaign.
TGS: I cried that night.

PBBM: I think, I think everyone —

TGS: Everyone cried. All of your supporters cried.

PBBM: Even some of these tough guys na mga kaibigan, mga kaklase ko mga tough guy?

TGS: They cried.

PBBM: Sabi ko matatanda na talaga kayo, iyak kayo nang iyak.

TGS: Did you have a special moment with the family where you all hugged each other after you won and they cried? The kids, Tita Liza?

PBBM: I think there were very, very, very many of those special moments. One of the best moments we had that evening when we were watching the count was I didn't expect it kasi natapos na si — naproklama na si Sandro in Ilocos. I didn't know this. So later in the evening, I think about nine or 10, he walks into the place panalo rin. And that was like a big — I said, "Great!" We all did okay. But again, this kind of support always comes on this vote. Embedded nga in that is the hope of people "please do something good." And the thought that kept going into my head, paikot-ikot sa aking pag-iisip, I said, we better do well. These people are counting on you. These people went out of their way to give you their vote. The most valuable thing that they can give you is trust. We must remember that support comes with a measure of hope and faith, and we cannot betray that. So we have to work very, very hard, and we have to get it right.

'Politics divided the country

TGS: What divided our country?

PBBM: Politics. We lost sight in many ways of the national interest and we only talked about partisan interest.

TGS: Your work will speak for itself.

PBBM: Yes. At saka hindi nila makukuha sa'yo 'yan. Alam ng tao. Even wala kang placard na sinasabi na "ako ang gumawa nitong project na ito," "ako ang gumawa ng magandang ano na ito." Alam ng tao eh kung sinong nagdala ng improvement doon sa kanilang buhay.

That's the most important thing. Nobody can take that from you.