Critics of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have been quick to blame him for the Philippines’ rising national debt, but they are comparing apples with oranges.
The fact is, when Marcos assumed office in 2022, the country’s debt was already at ₱12.09 trillion, largely due to loans incurred by the Duterte administration to fund pandemic response and infrastructure projects.
As of 2025, the national debt has increased further, but attributing the entire rise to Marcos alone is misleading. Debt accumulation is a continuous process influenced by past and present policies, global economic conditions, and interest rates. The reality is that much of the current debt stems from obligations inherited from Duterte.
While fiscal responsibility remains crucial, critics should acknowledge the full context rather than cherry-pick numbers to suit a narrative. After all, debt doesn’t reset with a new president—it compounds over time.
In the grand circus of fake news, the ringleaders—the so-called “truth twisters”—always deliver a show-stopping act. Their latest headliner? A former president boldly claiming that President Bongbong Marcos signed a national budget with blank figures, as if the government were a cheap magician pulling numbers from thin air. Who falls for this? Only the gullible and those who think Excel spreadsheets are sorcery.
Sure, corruption has its sneaky ways, and some politicians are masters of subtle deception. But a blank budget? That’s like leaving the cookie jar open and expecting a child to resist. It insults not just the public’s intelligence but also the 5th graders who, frankly, know better.
Fake news peddlers, take note: if you’re going to cook up stories, at least add some seasoning of believability. Otherwise, your audience might downgrade you from “fake news” to “comedy skit rejects.”
“Why is the current national debt sky-high?” is a question that critics of President Bongbong Marcos have been tossing around like confetti, especially when pointing out the Philippines’ towering ₱16.09 trillion national debt.
But wait—hold on to your calculators, folks. Out of this mountain of debt, a hefty ₱12.79 trillion was inherited from the Duterte administration. Yep, it’s like receiving an overly generous utang package as a welcome gift to Malacañang.
Marcos critics love to act as if he swiped the nation’s credit card for a nationwide shopping spree, but let’s be real—he walked into the party when the bill was already sky-high. Sure, ₱16 trillion sounds terrifying, but before you blame PBBM, try adding and subtracting first. Duterte handed over a debt snowball, but hey, maybe pointing fingers is easier than doing math. Or as we like to call it, the Filipino version of “debt-aton logic.”
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