Mandate obtained and squandered

THE NATURE OF A MANDATE

A mandate is born of a credible election. It is a sacred trust, freely given by the people, anchored on the hope that power will be used to serve, protect, and uplift.

But a mandate is never permanent.

It expires not only at the end of a term, but at the very moment leaders betray the people who placed them in office.

FROM GOODWILL TO DISILLUSIONMENT

The Marcos administration began with an overwhelming mandate and with it, immense goodwill.

That goodwill has steadily eroded. Unprecedented corruption, highlighted by the flood control scandal implicating the highest levels of government, has shaken public confidence.

The economy shows clear signs of distress: the Philippines is increasingly bypassed as an investment destination, with foreign investments reportedly declining by roughly 40 percent year-on-year; prices of basic goods continue to rise; wages remain stagnant; and food insecurity worsens for millions of households.

Governance drift and the widening gap between rhetoric and results have exhausted public patience.

While ordinary Filipinos tighten their belts, the president appears detached, slow to respond, and insulated from daily hardship.

THE PEOPLE’S VERDICT

A negative trust rating is not a statistic; it is a verdict. It is the people speaking with one voice, saying: ENOUGH!

Enough of unmet promises. Enough of excuses. Enough of leadership disconnected from lived reality. It is the people demanding: step up as a real leader or step down as the ultimate sacrifice.

THE LESSON OF HISTORY

Power ultimately answers to the people. When trust is lost, the mandate is lost.

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