Tiangco urges Marcos to prioritize services amid impeachment

Navotas Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. not to be distracted by the impeachment cases filed against him and instead focus on delivering services to the people and boosting the country’s economy.

Tiangco, offering unsolicited advice, said Marcos should focus on his job because he will have a chance to give his side at the appropriate time.

“Dahil may proseso yan at pagdating sa panahon na kailangan bigyan ang side niya, madidinig naman ang side niya. So ang unsolicited advice ko, it should not be a distraction for him. Iyan ang aking pananaw,” Tiangco said. (“There is a process, and when the time comes that he needs to present his side, it will be heard. So my unsolicited advice is that it should not be a distraction for him. That is my view.”)

The lawmaker said Marcos also has the responsibility to continue delivering basic services to the people, noting that the economy is facing difficulties along with the populace.

“So the president should concentrate on the said delivery of basic services and prepping up the economy,” said Tiangco.

The Navotas solon said the impeachment process affects the economy and Filipinos not just in the country, but also those working abroad.

“Of course if the economy is affected our ‘kababayan’s’ in the country are also affected. This goes also to their relatives that are working abroad (OFWs) and breadwinners that are sending money,” said Tiangco.

Tiangco reiterated his earlier stand that Congress must fulfill its duty under the 1987 Constitution by acting on impeachment cases brought before it.

However, Tiangco expressed concern over whether Congress itself has the moral authority to enforce accountability, as some of its members are allegedly involved in flood control anomalies.

“Hindi naman pwedeng maging hipokrito dito. Hindi naman pwede na gusto mong punahin ang dumi sa mukha ng kapwa pero ayaw mo munang manalamin,” he stressed. (“It cannot be hypocritical. You cannot want to criticize the dirt on someone else’s face but refuse to look in the mirror first.”)

The solon also pointed out that there are other venues for accountability, with some sectors filing plunder cases against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Tiangco’s stand is consistent, whether it is about the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte or President Bongbong Marcos.