If there is one thing that Duterte and Marcos have in common, it is probably the belief that mainstream media can be sidelined and rendered irrelevant. Under them, we have seen the ascendancy of pro-Duterte bloggers and pro-Marcos vloggers alike, loyal or fanatic supporters whose motivations range from sincere loyalty to pecuniary interests.

Besides them, there are the so-called media associated with religious groups like Apollo Quiboloy’s SMNI or Sonshine Media Network International and the Iglesia ni Cristo-owned NET 25 that have spread disinformation with nary a thought for ethics or journalistic standards.

The heavy-handed style of Duterte does not, however, seem to be the preference of Marcos. He’s had regular-hour press conferences, let his former spokesperson (really an outsider) communicate with the media, and has made no move to shame or exclude critical media from Palace coverages. Civility, not crudeness.

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In between his official activities, President Marcos has attended more than a dozen social and leisure activities here and abroad.

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Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE), a broad national network of community-based environmental groups, said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s actions in his first 100 days in office, “his continued pursuit of environmentally destructive projects and policies – expose his pro-environment pronouncements as ‘greenwashing.'”

“President Marcos Jr.’s actual actions on matters related to the environment – or lack of action, in many cases – reveal his climate-friendly statements as ‘greenwashing’,” said Jon Bonifacio, Kalikasan PNE’s National Coordinator.

“Despite progressive language in his recent speeches here and abroad, where the President spoke of climate justice and renewable energy, his administration is going full steam ahead with many ecologically destructive projects,” Bonifacio added, as the group called for a moratorium reclamation and mining projects.

The group also urged the Macos administration “to act on the crisis our environmental defenders are facing,” as it noted the continued attacks against environmental activists, including the arrest of two Lumad after a protest held during Marcos’ first State of the Nation Address.

Bonifacio urged civil society to resist “greenwashing” and to push the administration to “go beyond empty promises” and to “walk the green talk”.

“As the Philippines is facing a climate and environmental crisis, we need to take decisive steps now. We have no time to lose,” she said.

Kabataan Partylist summed up the Marcos government’s first 100 days in office as “Gold, glitz, and gutter: Filipinos’ 100 Days in Hell,” citing its “failure to live up to it’s tall promises for learning, economic, and health recovery.”

“Filipino youth are far from experiencing a promised golden age given that the only promise kept by Marcos is his promise to rehabilitate his family rather than his country. He was not even keen on releasing a report for his first 100 days in office thinking it as unnecessary,” Kabataan said in a statement.

Kabataan shared its version of what it called the Marcos government’s “accomplishment” and “omission” report:

• lavish parties, engagements (e.g. Imelda and wife’s birthday bash, F1 race, Eric Clapton concert)
• printed self commemorative stamps
• soaring prices of rice and basic goods 
• sugar crisis
• peso dive
• above average inflation rate
• higher public transport fare
• reappointing bypassed appointees
• attacks vs. freedom of speech (killings & assaulting of media practitioners, youth leaders)
• appointees quitting concurrently
• P96 billion-loan, additional “successfully” borrowed $2 billion
• rising unemployment and poverty