By Mario Casayuran All ideas on how to help President Duterte perform better in his last two years in office must be exploited, Senator Maria Imelda Josefa “Imee” Marcos said Monday. Senator Imee Marcos
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) The President must ramp-up its performance levels by picking the right persons for the right jobs, Marcos said, adding that the President has difficulty in forming a tight and better-performing team. ‘’Let’s remain open to suggestion,’’ she told Senate senators during a ZOOM interview where she was asked how she rates the performance of the President the past four years. ‘’Marami tayong inaasahan kay pangulong Duterte, di matatawaran ang trust rating ang tindi ng kumpyansa ng tao sa kanya, lahat ng sabihin nya, ang problema minsan na didisappoint tayo sa ibang tauhan nya,’’ she said.(We pin so much hope on President Duterte. His trust rating could not be matched. The people’s trust in him is so high. The problem is that there are times we are disappointed with some of his men.) ‘’I think we need to work very closely. Ang laki ng dagok sa ekonomiya (COVID-19). I’m afraid that there will be a social problem. I think that is the urgent agenda from now until 2022, isantabi muna pol(itical) issues at tutukan muna ang COVID,’’ she added. (COVID has our economy so much. I am afraid there will be social problem and I think that is the urgent agenda now until 2022. Let us put politics aside for the meantime and focus on COVID.) Queried on the increase of COVID-19 cases, Marcos, chairwoman of the Senate economic affairs committee, said she is disappointed that the Philippines flunked the ‘test, trace and treat’’ process as it has not reached the promised testing rate of 30,000 daily. ‘’Ano ba talaga ang problema, nalilito na ako dyan?’’ she asked. (What is the problem? I am confused.) ‘’We started the earliest lockdown and it is the longest and most expensive pero bakit ang iba tapos na, tayo di pa, di pa maliwanag kung first or second,’’ she pointed out. (Why is the lockdown not over? The first or second lockdown is not yet clear.)