President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday received Father’s Day greetings from his three sons who expressed their gratitude to the country’s incoming “Father of the nation.”
In a vlog, Sandro, Simon, and Vincent Marcos recalled the best advice that their father gave them. To eldest son Sandro, it was “Bawalpikon” (Don’t be onion-skinned.)
For Simon, he said it was to “always be objective.”
Vincent, the youngest, said it was to “never hate anyone.”
“You’ve been an amazing Pops to us. I hope and I’m pretty sure that you’ll be an amazing Pops to the country. We’ll be with you every step of the way and we’ll be supporting you every step of the way. We’ll all be here for you,” Simon said.
Agreeing with Simon, Sandro said he believes that the President-elect will “make a fantastic President of our country.”
“I want to wish you the best of luck in what’s to come. I know you’ve prepared all your life and you’ve spent a significant amount of time making sure that you are ready for the problems our country faces,” he said.
Vincent, for his part, admitted that he is excited to see his father’s plan go into action as he begins his term on June 30, to replace outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Throughout the craziness of everything, you always manage to make time and spend time with us. I’ll always be grateful for having such a great father, and I know the Filipino people are lucky to have you as their new President. I’m so excited to see your plans and all the help you’ve wanted to give finally come into action for the good of the country and its people,” he said.
As preparations get underway for Marcos’s inauguration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it is considering the Philippine Arena as an ideal area where a large LED screen can be set up to allow more supporters to witness the ceremony.
“If the Philippine Arena were used as a remote viewing area, it could accommodate around 70,000 inside and another 100,000 outside, particularly in the front area of the arena,” said Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, PNP director for operations.
De Leon said they are now coordinating with the camp of Marcos on their proposal to use the Philippine Arena in Bulacan as one of the viewing areas, along with other strategic places that can accommodate a large number of people.
“If viewing areas were set up in these areas, then they could greatly reduce the number of people at the National Museum in Manila, which can only accommodate a limited number of people,” De Leon said.
He said based on the initial assessment, only about 1,200 people will be allowed at the National Museum.
De Leon said they are currently coordinating with the management and owners of the large LED televisions along Edsa and other parts of the country to accommodate the live streaming of Marco’s inauguration as the country’s 17th President.
The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said all systems are in place to secure the inauguration of Marcos.
In a statement on Saturday night, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad said final security preparation had been laid down and finalized to ensure success and zero casualty and any untoward incident.
“We have not monitored any threat ahead as of this moment but we are continuously and closely monitoring and coordinating with our counterparts,” Natividad said.
He said several road closures, the 1-kilometer radius of the National Museum will be declared a no-fly zone for drones and aircraft, while several ports and waterways near the establishment have also been inspected.
Natividad said a gun ban will be imposed from 6 a.m. on June 27 to 6 a.m. on July 1, adding only police and military and other law enforcers who are performing official duties in prescribed uniforms will be authorized to carry firearms.
Motorists are advised to take alternate routes as heavy traffic will be expected, particularly on roads leading to and from the National Museum.
Backpacks also not be allowed in all VIP areas to ensure the safety of everyone.
At least 6,000 police officers will be deployed for Marcos’ inauguration.
