BBM not a weak leader, will never be – Palace

Why is the soft-spoken and diplomatic President Marcos hurling tirades at his fiery predecessor Rodrigo Duterte during the campaign rallies of administration allies?

- ALEXIS ROMERO

As far as Malacañang is concerned, even the highest official of the land needs to parry attacks by his critics who are "encouraging" people to be furious with the government.

According to Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, such a move also imparts a message about Marcos' leadership.

"The President has to be transparent about his insights sometimes and to relay to the people that he is not and will never be a weak leader," Castro said at a press briefing yesterday.

In his speeches during the campaign sorties of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, Marcos assailed the policies of the Duterte administration, including its pivot to China and its brutal war on illegal drugs that he said claimed innocent lives.

Not to be outdone, Duterte also slammed the President in various "indignation rallies," accusing Marcos of "veering toward a dictatorship" and of seeking to stay in power after his term expires in 2028.