President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. rejected the claims suggesting that his administration shares significant policy parallels with that of the late President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III.
During his recent media interview in Washington, D.C. after attending the trilateral summit with the United States and Japan, Marcos dismissed notions of continuity between his government and that of the late President.
Despite nearly two years in office, observers and netizens alike have speculated on similarities, particularly regarding economic focus, ties with the US, and the stance on the sovereignty of the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
The discussions online likewise covered the recently signed Executive Order No. 56 and Administrative No. 18, which the netizens claimed it resembled Aquino's policies.
EO No. 56 aimed to prevent abuse and improve transparency among government officials by tightening regulations on the issuance of special plates given to government officials.
AO No. 18 bans government officials from using sirens (wang-wang), which was also implemented under the Aquino administration.
In 2010, during Aquino's inaugural speech as president, he said that the use of wang-wang was illegal because it showed entitlement at the cost of regular Filipinos.
The late Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who was Marcos' father and namesake, also banned the same things during the years of martial law.
Marcos said that his recently signed orders does more than just discourage the use of wang-wang.
"The Executive Order is not just about sirens, it’s about really reducing the number of vehicles with special privileges," Marcos said.
"It's about imposing discipline," he reiterated, emphasizing the government's responsibility to set a positive example for the driving public.
Regarding comparisons to Aquino's administration, especially concerning sovereignty issues in the West Philippine Sea, Marcos remained firm in his stance.
"I don’t see it. I don’t see it at all, because, well, I just don’t see it," Marcos added.
It was under the Aquino administration that the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague resulted in the rejection of China’s nine-dash line claim.
However, China has become more aggressive against the Philippines on the West Philippine Sea since Marcos took office.
The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia all have claims that are different from China's in the disputed waters.