President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. made history on Thursday for being the first Filipino President to visit the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi headquarters in Bongao municipality, according to 2nd Marine Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Nestor Narag Jr.
“Indeed, we are very much honored and privileged to have you here with us this morning for it is the first time in the history of the deployment of our brigade here in the province of Tawi-Tawi that the highest official of the land sets foot inside this headquarters,” General Narag said in welcoming President Marcos at the JTF headquarters in Bongao town.
“Along that line Mr. President sir, kami po ay taus-pusong nagpapasalamat sa inyong pagdalo and thank you very much sir,” he said.
President Marcos visited the JTF headquarters shortly after distributing aid to farmers and fisherfolk affected by the El Niño phenomenon in Tawi-Tawi.
President Marcos remarked that he was very happy to be able to claim to be the first Filipino President to set foot on the Marines headquarters on the island.
“The reason is not because other presidents did not want to come here, it was because other presidents were not allowed by the security conditions that had passed before to be able to come here,” President Marcos told the troops in his remarks during the camp visit.
“And that is why, I am very happy that we can now show that it is peaceful in Tawi-Tawi,” he noted.
The President said Tawi-Tawi is now peaceful because of all the efforts of all the troops, adding “after very many years, I am happy to be back in Marine country.”
According to President Marcos, Tawi-Tawi was the conflict ground zero, serving as lair of the insurgents and terrorists in their kidnapping activities.
“But because of the efforts of all our personnel in the Task Force Tawi-Tawi, we have now come to the situation where it is peaceful enough now,” the President said.
“Ngayon, imbes na naglalabanan, ang labanan ngayon dito pagandahan na ng resort and that is something that we — is a very, very, very big achievement and the part that you played in that is a very, very major part so congratulations for the good work and for a job well done,” he remarked. PND
