President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is praying for good weather when he takes his oath as the 17th President of the Philippines on June 30 in what he says will be a solemn inauguration.
Marcos said he is not the only one making the transition, saying his family would have to make adjustments as well. For instance, he said he was sorry that his wife, Liza Araneta-Marcos, would have to give up her law practice.
“Sadly, I feel sorry for her, she had to leave her partner in the law firm she built,” Marcos said.
“It’s sad because I really know, I saw, she worked hard. She really poured his diligence into it, her talent into it. She really dedicated herself to her law practice and she treats her co-workers as family,” he continued.
Mrs. Marcos is a founding partner at M & Associates. However, Marcos said there was nothing they could do because his wife would be the incoming first lady.
“So I apologize to her, she was forced to do this. But what I told her is, this is only the beginning of a new chapter,” he added.
Marcos said he also feels bad for his kids, notably Simon and Vincent because they are now more restricted because of the added security.
“My other two children are slowly getting used to it because they have a lot of sudden security. Constant complaints but we can’t do anything, That’s really how it is when you’re a child of the President,” he added.
Marcos also said his eldest son Sandro is preparing for his journey as the incoming Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative.
“He is now preparing his office at Congress. He is super excited as a neophyte congressman,” he said.
The incoming leader dismissed any questions about gimmicks at his inauguration, saying it would be a solemn ceremony.
“More or less, it will still be traditional. We won’t stray away from the usual,” he said.
“The important thing is, I’m with my whole family, I’m with you to watch live or online. And most of all, I hope the weather will cooperate because it’s the rainy season,” he added.
Marcos said they chose to have his inauguration at the National Museum and not the traditional venue, the Quirino Grandstand, because there are still COVID-19 isolation facilities near that area.
The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, said it has not monitored any security threats to the inauguration.
PNP spokesperson Police Col. Jean Fajardo told radio dzBB they are almost 100 percent ready for the inauguration.
“So far, we have not received any credible threat that could thwart or stop the event on Thursday,” she said in Filipino.
The PNP said over 15,000 security personnel would be deployed to secure the inauguration.
Checkpoints and chokepoints would be set up in all the entry points to Manila for three days starting on June 28, and a gun ban will be imposed starting June 27 in Metro Manila.