Marcos to Duterte: Ito ang schedule ko, saan 'yung pasyal?

BERLIN - ''Ito ang schedule ko oh. Saan 'yung pasyal?''

(Here's my schedule. Where's the leisure part?)

This was the response of President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. to the latest tirades made by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.

Speaking to the Philippine media delegation in Germany, Marcos showed his schedule to prove that he is not having leisure time during foreign trips.

''It's my schedule for today. Where's the (paseo?) Wala. You know, kasama ko... we don't make pasyal, even in the places that I spent a lot of times with, 'di ko napupuntahan 'yung mga dati kong pinupuntahan because we're here to do this,'' Marcos said.

(There's no sightseeing. Our group is not here to tour. Éven in the places that I spent a lot of times with, I haven't visited because we're here to [work].)

In a rally held at the Liwasang Bonifacio, Duterte criticized Marcos' foreign trips and said, ''Si Marcos, pasyal pasyal na lang 'yan.''

(Marcos is just taking a tour.)

As regards Duterte's claim that Marcos is pushing Charter change for term extension, Marcos said he is confused with Duterte's remarks.

''Na-co-confuse kasi ako kay PRDD, papalit-palit eh. So I’ll have to examine it further really kasi very, kulang ang naririning ang balita, ang kaniyang mga remarks. So, we will, tignan ko muna kung ano ba talaga ang sinabi niya para maintindihan ko,'' Marcos said.

(I am confused with PRRD because he keeps changing his stance with his remarks. I need to take a closer look at what he's saying in order for me to understand what he really means.)

''I think hindi ko talaga naintindihan kasi parang naiiba, bawat salita niya iba eh. So, I will try to make sense of it,'' he added.

(I really don't understand since every word he says has a different meaning.)

At a rally against Charter change in Davao City, Duterte called Marcos a drug addict.

In response, Marcos laughed off the accusation, saying it must be the effect of fentanyl, a drug Duterte has admitted to taking during his term as president.

Duterte then backtracked on his statements against Marcos. After challenging Marcos to take a drug test, Duterte later denied accusing the President of using illegal drugs.

Marcos said his working visit to Germany was productive. 

“It's very productive, both for the economic side and on the political side,” Marcos told reporters. 

“And also, for the what we the call people-to-people," he added.

Marcos said he had a very good conversation with the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

"We talked, from what we spoke about in the bilateral meeting lunch, we also talked about some many other issues that concern both our countries because what is happening for example in Ukraine,” Marcos said.

Marcos said he had his fruitful discussions with German companies such as his meetings with the top officials of Bosch, Siemens, Airbus, and Lufthansa Technik, which have expressed their plans for the Philippines. 

“It’s encouraging... All of these different entities seemed to be confident in the Philippines economic condition,” Marcos said.

He said some of the German firms are already operating in the Philippines and want to expand their operations in the country.

“And that is manifested by the fact that they are preparing to invest further and whatever. If they have production already, if they have already an operation in the Philippines, they tend to expand,” Marcos said.

At least US$4 billion worth of investments have been secured by the Philippine government during this working visit.  —RF/NB, GMA Integrated News