Echoes of the Unheard: Marcos’s Call and the Poor’s Silent Struggle

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — May 11, 2025

IN THE festering slums of Tondo, Sisa, a 42-year-old mother of four, claws through heaps of garbage, scavenging for scraps to feed her children. Her husband, gunned down in a police anti-drug raid last year, left no justice, only silence. Sisa’s story echoes across the Philippines, where the poor bear the weight of broken promises. As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declares, “We need to listen to critics” in a May 11, 2025, Facebook video, his words clash with a reality of human rights abuses, budget betrayals, political feuds, and a muzzled press. With the 2025 midterm elections looming, this analysis, grounded in provided materials, exposes how these crises crush the marginalized, weaving Sisa’s struggle with systemic critique to demand change.

Blood on the Streets: Human Rights Abuses Haunt the Poor

Marcos’s vow for “justice in society” rings hollow against a grim toll: 841 killed in anti-drug operations since 2022, mostly from impoverished communities, with only four police convictions since 2018. For Sisa, whose husband’s death left her family destitute, these are not numbers but a daily nightmare. The Human Rights Watch report from January 16, 2025, notes no action against officials despite new evidence, breeding fear in slums where the poor are easy targets. Children, as documented in a 2020 report, grow up scarred, distrusting a system that brands them collateral damage.

This impunity strangles justice for the marginalized. Fear silences families, deterring legal action and civic engagement. Sisa’s children, now scavenging instead of studying, face a future dimmed by trauma and poverty. The administration’s inaction signals that poor lives are cheap, deepening their isolation and despair.

Broken Promises: Economic Policies Abandon the Vulnerable

Marcos touts $14.2 billion in investment pledges and 185 infrastructure projects, but for the poor, prosperity is a mirage. The 2025 budget, signed December 30, 2024, allocates PHP 2.1 trillion to social services, including PHP 1.053 trillion for education and PHP 253 billion for programs like the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). Yet, the zero subsidy for PhilHealth, slashing PHP 74 billion, defies the 2019 Universal Healthcare Act, threatening healthcare for millions reliant on the program to avoid medical debt.

Rural poor, like Ben, a rice farmer in Nueva Ecija, grapple with soaring costs and meager subsidies, untouched by urban-focused projects. Critics, as noted in a January 7, 2025, Diplomat article, decry “pork barrel” priorities that favor political allies over anti-poverty measures. With nearly half of health expenses out-of-pocket, as highlighted by Rappler, the poor face a brutal choice: skip care or drown in debt, perpetuating cycles of poverty.

A House Divided: Political Feuds Starve the Needy

The bitter Marcos-Duterte rift, inflamed by January 20, 2025, budget disputes, threatens governance itself. Marcos’s dismissal of Rodrigo Duterte’s allegations as “lies” risks fracturing coalitions, stalling policies the poor depend on. In Mindanao, where Duterte’s sway holds, fishermen await fuel subsidies delayed by regional power plays. This instability, as noted in a July 22, 2024, Al Jazeera report, fuels protests over living costs, with the poor caught in the crossfire.

The midterm elections, pitting Marcos’s Alyansa against the Duterte-backed DuterTen slate, will gauge public frustration. For the marginalized, this feud means delayed aid and muted voices, as elite battles overshadow their survival.

Power Grab: Alyansa’s Grip Chokes Democracy

Marcos’s Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, a coalition of political titans like Benhur Abalos and Manny Pacquiao, is set to dominate the Senate. Polls from May 7, 2025, predict ten of eleven candidates winning, potentially controlling three-quarters of seats. Marcos calls it a “dream team,” but critics see a power grab. For the poor, this risks policies favoring elites, with infrastructure skewed toward rich regions, as critiqued by IBON Foundation.

A weakened opposition stifles advocacy for indigenous groups, urban poor, and farmers like Ben, whose needs are sidelined. The coalition’s dynastic and celebrity-heavy slate, while voter-friendly, undermines meritocracy, leaving the marginalized feeling like spectators in their own democracy.

Silenced Voices: Media Freedom Under Siege

Marcos’s January 1, 2025, transparency pledge is overshadowed by a troubling media landscape. The administration’s past reliance on disinformation, as exposed in a New Yorker dispatch, and favoritism toward pro-Marcos vloggers, alarms journalists. For the poor, a free press is vital to spotlight land grabs or healthcare gaps. In Samar, where indigenous groups fight mining displacement, local reporters are their only allies. Curtailed media, as warned by the National Union of Journalists, leaves these struggles invisible, shielding government failures.

Sisa’s Defiance: A Spark Amid Despair

Sisa’s life in Tondo is a crucible of pain and perseverance. Rising before dawn, her hands scarred from scavenging, she fights to feed her children. After her husband’s killing, she joined other widows, demanding justice and aid. Her defiance mirrors the resilience of millions, yet without systemic reform, it risks fading into the noise of political games. Sisa’s story is a call to action, a reminder that the poor are not just victims but agents of change.

Breaking the Chains: Solutions for the Forgotten

To uplift the marginalized, the following steps are urgent:

End Impunity Now: Form an independent commission to probe drug war killings, prosecuting guilty officials. Expand legal aid for families like Sisa’s, restoring trust and access to justice.
Fund the Vulnerable: Restore PhilHealth subsidies to ensure healthcare for the poor and redirect “pork barrel” funds to education and anti-poverty programs. Transparent budget oversight with civil society can ensure accountability.
Heal the Divide: Create a bipartisan task force to prioritize pro-poor policies, like farm subsidies and welfare, despite Marcos-Duterte tensions. Local leader input can align policies with regional needs.
Guard Democracy: Pass electoral reforms to curb dynastic dominance, promoting diverse voices. Public funding for grassroots campaigns can amplify the marginalized.
Unleash the Press: Enact laws protecting journalists and ensure equal media access. Support community radio and digital platforms to amplify rural and indigenous voices.

A Reckoning Awaits: Will Marcos Truly Hear?

Marcos’s plea to listen to critics is a fragile promise against a backdrop of betrayal. For Sisa, Ben, and millions of poor Filipinos, the 2025 elections, with Alyansa’s looming sweep, are a pivotal moment. By embracing accountability, equitable policies, and democratic freedoms, the Philippines can honor its most vulnerable. Sisa’s resilience demands it—a nation that listens not just to critics but to its forgotten.