Koko Pimentel on Marcos' first 100 days: He's trying his best, but...

In his first 100 days in office, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was reminded to keep his focus on the country's major problems and refrain from doing activities that show "hint of insensitivity."

"I believe he's trying his best pero bawas-bawasan na lang natin itong mga kilos or activities which give us a hint of some insensitivity to what our people are going through right now," Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said in a statement.

"This is really a very difficult time to govern. The world's situation is very unpredictable, if not chaotic. I hope he will always 'keep his eyes on the ball.' Let us not be distracted. Let us give our responsibility 100 percent of our focus and attention," he added.

The minority chief emphasized that the Filipinos have been suffering from high cost of basic commodities and the educational system in the Philippines has been declining.

On top of it, Pimentel mentioned the country's serious problem with law and order.

"Mahirap ang buhay ngayon. Dito na lang sa Metro Manila, ilan ang beggars na nakikita natin. Being a leader, I think we need to feel for our people. Let us try to feel the pain and the difficulties that they are going through," he said.

Pimentel also questioned the need for Marcos to take a break abroad after Malacañang defended the President's latest trip to Singapore to watch Formula 1 racing.

Recently, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said one should not be too concerned about the source of funds as the President did his job.

The minority leader said he will ask for details on the funds used for Marcos' latest Singapore trip in the upcoming deliberations of the Office of the President's budget.

"When he appeals to defend the budget of the Office of the President, we will ask him that question. Who paid for the trip? That is very important to know," Pimentel said.

"We all need time to rest and to recharge. My question is, you are entitled to your break time but did you really have to go abroad to get your rest?" he asked.

Pimentel argued that Marcos, as president of 109 million Filipinos, needs to be accessible and the public needs to know where he is.

"If you are going to take a break outside of your territorial jurisdiction, you should inform somebody so contingency plans are in place," he stressed.

GMA News Online sought the reaction of the Palace but has yet to get a response as of posting time.

Traveling salesman

Meanwhile, administration senators, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senator Robin Padilla, said Marcos is doing a good job in his first three months in office.

"I think he is doing a good job. First of all, he jump started it with several Cabinet [meetings] on a daily basis. He chose a very good Cabinet team, outstanding economic team," Zubiri said in an interview with reporters.

The Senate President also praised the President's foreign trips to attract investment into the Philippines.

"He is the best salesman for the country. Right now, he's our top salesman. He went to Singapore and Indonesia, as well as the United States, selling our country to possible foreign direct investors. That has not been done in how many years," Zubiri said.

He said the last time a president did an economic roadshow was during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"Ang ginawa puro house cleaning, house cleaning na lang tayo e wala nang pumasok na iba, iniwan na tayo ng Vietnam. Lahat pumunta sa Vietnam. So now, what the president wants to do is to get these investors," he said.

Zubiri also refuted claims that Marcos has not accomplished anything in his first 100 days.

"Nagbubulag-bulagan siguro sila. Di nakikita e. Ang daming nagawa ng presidente... the formal opening of the subway, itutuloy niya ang lahat ng Build, Build, Build projects ng ating dating Pangulong Duterte, and the roadshows," Zubiri said.

"He just spoke in front of all the CEOs in New York Stock Exchange para mag-invest dito. He's got investment pledges of about 20 billion dollars for the country in the last three foreign trips," he added.

Zubiri also mentioned Marcos' trip to Davos, Switzerland, where the President will meet with the members of the G20 to discuss policy issues.

Padilla likewise lauded the President for taking the role of a "traveling salesman" to boost investments in the country and for "personally addressing" the problems in food and agriculture.

"A good start...During his first 100 days, the President - aside from assembling a powerhouse team of economic managers - has personally taken the role of 'traveling salesman' in attracting investments from other countries," Padilla said in a statement.

"He is also personally addressing the nation's concerns on food and agriculture as concurrent Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The first 100 days is a good start that I hope will be sustained in the President's next 2,092 days in his term...to address the other problems our nation faces," he added. 

In a separate statement, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian acknowledged Marcos' "bold actions" to rightsize the government, initiatives to "hold government accountable," and the formation of an impressive economic team to achieve economic recovery amid global risks.

"Part of the President’s first orders upon assumption into office was to abolish agencies that [had] duplicated and overlapping official functions, such as the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), the Office of the Cabinet Secretary, and to reorganize the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO)," he said.

"With the President at the helm of the Department of Agriculture, he vowed to address the most pressing concerns of the sector. An instance is when he let the investigation run its course on issues hounding sugar importation," he added.

The senator also lauded the administration's "pursuit of inclusive growth," citing the President's trips to the US, Indonesia and Singapore.

"The President was able to bring home $19 billion or over P1 trillion from his US, Indonesia, and Singapore trips and [is] expected to generate more or less 135,000 jobs," he said. —LDF/VBL, GMA News