Image: Reuters Berita 24 English -On Thursday, the son and successor of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos will take the oath of office as p...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English -On Thursday, the son and successor of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos will take the oath of office as president of the Philippines, capping a dramatic political comeback for one of Asia's most illustrious families, 36 years after it was overthrown in a popular rebellion.
With the aid of what his detractors claim has been a decades-long campaign to change the public's picture of a family that lived opulently at the top of one of the most notorious kleptocracies in the world, Marcos Jr. secured a rare landslide victory in last month's election.
Marcos, also known as "Bongbong," will take his oath before a court at Manila's National Museum rather than the customary Quirino Grandstand, where previous presidents including his father were sworn in. This is due to pandemic measures.
His transition team stated that the event will be "solemn and simple," reflecting the challenging times brought on by COVID-19.
The elder Marcos controlled the Philippines from 1965 until his downfall and family's flight into exile during a 1986 "people power" revolution. Almost half of this time was spent under martial law, which helped him maintain his hold on power.
During his leadership, thousands of opponents of the Marcos family were imprisoned, killed, or vanished, and the family name came to stand for cronyism, excess, and the theft of billions of dollars from state coffers. Accusations of embezzlement have been dismissed by the Marcos family.
A campaign fueled by a strong network of supporters and social media influencers intent to refute historical accounts of the Marcos era has incensed hundreds of activists who are scheduled to demonstrate against the inauguration of 64-year-old Marcos Jr.
With the phrase "together, we shall rise again," the former senator and congressman invoked nostalgia for his father's administration, which his family and supporters have characterised as a golden era for the Philippines, an ex-colony of the United States.
A last-ditch attempt by campaigners, including some who had been persecuted during martial control, to stop Marcos was unsuccessful on Tuesday when the Supreme Court rejected petitions attempting to disqualify him for tax offences committed decades earlier.
In a nation of 110 million people, nearly a quarter of whom live on less than $2 per day, voters are looking on him to deliver on promises to increase employment and lower consumer prices.
He has pledged to get things done quickly and even designated himself as the country's minister of agriculture, citing the urgent need to increase output to avoid food shortages and support price control.
Over the following six months and the first year, economic recovery should and will be Marcos' top concern, according to political expert Richard Heydarian, an author, pundit, and scholar.
That will serve as the foundation for his government going forward.
