It was also too little too late, coming after too many decades of blaming or patronizing the bobotante (the dumb voter) and the masa (masses). Their son, Bongbong Marcos, is at far right. Myth-making and appeal to emotionsform part of power games. These cookies are used to improve your experience and provide more personalized service to you. But even before the People Power Revolt, during the darkest days of dictatorship, Filipinos were already coming up with creative ways to defy the regime. More than 30 million Filipinos. In 2016, polling agencies (notably Social Weather Station, or SWS) correctly predicted that Robredo would win. He has withheld the truth about the Marcos plunder before and during martial rule, which he has misrepresented as a "golden era." He knows from multiple accounts that these illicit funds are diversions made from foreign economic aid, US military assistance, and from public and private sources. Though the requirements to run for the Philippine presidency in Section 2 of Article VII on the Executive Department in our 1987 Constitution are sparse, we need to seriously examine the qualifications of those running for the office lest we end up with someone of dubious character. So why is the Philippines still in shambles?. Besides, todays generation, dont care much about what happened in the past. This is the first time anyone had garnered a majority (in 1992, Fidel Ramos only got some 23.5% of the votes). Manhit said candidates apart from Marcos Jr. should focus on building on their own strengths instead of hoping for a Duterte endorsement. Ferdinand Marcos Jr, 64, known as "Bongbong", and more recently, "BBM", is the only son of the late dictator who ruled the Philippines for almost two decades until he was forced out of power by a . Marcos Jr. has ignored the testimonies and documented cases of killings, tortures, and arbitrary arrests during his fathers dictatorship as reported by established human rights institutions. And no talk means no mistake. Take my old boss and drinking buddy, the poet Pete Lacaba, who wrote a seemingly harmless, apolitical poem titled Prometheus Unbound. When read vertically, the first letter of every line said, Marcos, Hitler, Diktador, Tuta the famous anti-dictatorship slogan, Marcos, Hitler, Dictator, Puppet.. Voters have been swayed by his decision to stay out of the mudslinging, and they approve of his promise to unite the country while continuing with the legacy of Rodrigo Duterte. BBMs numbers have left other camps stumped. His victory . No one likes that.. His familys popularity saw a recent resurgence largely driven by social media. His loyalists say the period was a golden age of development. If they are too hostile, then they might find themselves villainized and restricted, as in other illiberal democracies. To his supporters, this decision is perfectly understandable, and reinforces the "biased-media" narrative his campaign has cultivated. Theres former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez, Senator Bong Revilla of Lakas-CMD, and former president Erap Estradas son Jinggoy Estrada of Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, to name a few. The narrative today is Filipinos have come to take it as a given that all their politicians steal anyway. In recent years, many analysts have unfairly caricatured the so-called surprise electoral victories of populist leaders as the result of uneducated voters brainwashed by disinformation. His son and his allies want us to forget what his regime did. In the 2016 general elections, his son BBM lost to Robredo, the current vice president, by a slim margin. More than three decades later, in October 2021, the late dictators son and namesake, 64-year-old Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., announced his intention to become the next president of the Philippines. The opposition has attacked even the the pollsters, too. He's the son of a. On Feb. 25, 1986, hundreds of thousands of Filipinos, from nuns to office workers, occupied one of the Philippine capitals main arteriesthe culmination of a four-day mass protest dubbed the People Power Revolution. It was unlike anything Asia, or the world, had seen before. The Marcos and Duterte alliance, said Stratbase Group founder and managing director Victor Andres Manhit, led to a consolidation of President Rodrigo Dutertes base, even if the president had not endorsed a candidate after long-time aide Bong Go dropped out of the race for the presidency. The repression lasted for nine years. The Manila Times Podcasts. When the Marcoses and their entourage absconded from the Philippines, it was with a stunning supply of wealth, The Los Angeles Times reported in 1986: $7.7 million in cash and $4 million in gems and jewelry, including a gold crown and three diamond-studded tiaras. . This website stores cookies on your computer. Bloomberg Surveillance, covering the latest news in finance, economics and investments. Read More: Imelda Marcos Has Had Part of Her Art Collection Seized. (2) His demand for results even when he met with other heads of government. Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism. He was so good with his Marcos impersonation, that during the critical hours of the People Power Revolt, when the dictator appeared on TV to prove he was still in charge, there were those who believed it was a ploy with the popular comedian in the starring role. They think Marcos did well as a senator, has enough political experience, they mention his housing bills, his tenure as a congressman. Rappler.com. Nowadays, epal politicians who like having their names and pictures on billboards and public places can expect to be criticized and attacked. Please try again. Asked if non-Marcos candidates, by consolidating forces, could make it easier to beat the survey frontrunner, Manhit said its too late. Instead, candidates should find a way to create momentum as the campaign picks up. Bongbong Marcos himself, who was convicted for tax evasion in 1997, did not go to jail for it after an appeals court modified the ruling. Marcos imposed nationwide martial law in September 1972 in response to escalating protests from civil libertarians and threats of communist insurgency. Ferdinand Sr. is known as one of the worlds biggest pillagers. Marcos was also seen by voters as the candidate with a clear plan for solving the countrys problems (38%), has good leadership qualities (38%), and defense the territories of the Philippines against China (39%). What can be more epal than having gigantic bust of yourself constructed along a major highway you named after yourself. Misinformation is false information that is spread, regardless of intent to mislead. SINGLE TERM MANDATED: Bongbong Marcos Jr, now 64 (born September 13, 1957), served as a politician under the Philippines' 1987 Constitution, which bans a reelection for president. In unofficial election results announced on Tuesday, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is leading Leni Robredo, his main rival and leader of the brave yet beleaguered political opposition, by a wide margin. Performance & security by Cloudflare. As authors of the first draft of history, the press are Marcos first target and an easy one. While running for office, he relished in his stories as a self-proclaimed war hero, although U.S. government files would later discredit the narrative that he led a guerrilla force against the Japanese. Ed Garcia is a framer of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, a former researcher at the international secretariat of Amnesty International, and a peace envoy at International Alert. This week, wearing all red and clutching a rosary, the 92-year-old Marcos matriarch cast a vote for her son in the presidential election. The polls overwhelmingly favour Marcos Jr. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a1251db4b92cacd Specifically, unity against the ruling oligarchs. Marcos, known as "Bongbong", is the namesake and only son of the late strongman who ruled for almost two decades until overthrown in 1986 by a peaceful popular revolt. He was special assistant to his father in 1979 and later, vice governor then governor of their bailiwick, Ilocos Norte. he'll be the first Philippine leader who cannot set foot in . The rest? He is the second child and only son of 10th . In 2013, the 40 richest families, who control key sectors of the economy, including giant media networks, ring-fenced 76% of newly-created growth, according to one report. Their restoration presents a democraticindeed existentialcrisis for the Philippines. (3) His knowledge of and use of the law as basis of his official acts. The reverse is happening. This is like just cementing the ruling class, La Via, the former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, says. Marcos Jr is the most controversial, and is himself facing numerous cases, including a conviction over a tax-evasion case. Of the seventeen presidents of the Philippines, a number have shown proficiency in languages other than English and Tagalog (which would later become the basis of the national language, Filipino ). One to sawa dynasty, anyone? Thats probably why Bongbong Marcos wants Filipinos to forget about what happened to us during his fathers reign. The anti-oligarch sentiment runs deep. But still, given our experience with Marcos, theres a line, especially in national races, that I suspect candidates will not cross for fear of sparking a severe backlash. Despite leading preference polls, Marcos Jr has yet to lay out a comprehensive platform. Theater of popular music. Bongbong Marcos Jnr and his family face arrest in the US for defying a court order to pay US$353 million to human rights victims. Add to. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. Xi and Biden were among the first world leaders to congratulate Marcos Jr. on his apparent election win, suggesting the two rivals view the Philippines as a pivotal linchpin in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region. Dr. Julio Teehankee, professor of Political Science and International Studies at the De La Salle University, said: If youre enjoying 50% almost 60% in the surveys, then you can afford to do this.. To fight back, progressive leaders should advance their own counter-narrative and persuasive vision. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Three of these come to mind: (1) His respect and civility toward his official family. . subscription, Philippine court orders arrest of ex-first lady Imelda Marcos for graft, Marcos wealth spread all over Europe - lawyer, Philippines: 523% increase in internet speed, Philippines: 5,000% surge in digital payments in the time of COVID-19, Clark Airport: Rising travel hub 85km north of Manila, Sinking Philippine tanker sparks diesel spill, Marcos urges military to focus on South China Sea, Unpaid taxes? And we have to give credit to Marcos for this, for making Filipinos extremely suspicious of political leaders who suddenly get rich. Rather than scapegoating social media as a technological brainwasher, turning out voters who support populist strongmen, we must consider why communities resonate with, and willingly participate in, myth-making, misinformation, and historical revisionism online. In 2016, as voting day drew near, Pulse Asia had correctly predicted that Robredo would win, and she did. In sorties, they proclaim that through unity under Marcos Jr., the country would be great again and that the Uniteam tandem stands as the winners. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! The late President Ferdinand Marcos waves goodbye to supporters from the balcony of Malacaang Palace in Manila following his oath-taking ceremony as victor in the Philippine Presidential snap elections, Feb. 25 1986. The attacks against BBM with the issue of nakaw (ill-gotten wealth) and all of that, it does not resonate as much, said Heydarian, policy adviser and chair of geopolitics at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). Magazines, Digital Exiled to Hawaii three decades ago in the aftermath of a peaceful revolution that overthrew his fathers brutal regime, Marcos and his family are set to return to Malacanang Palacethe presidential residencewith riches intact, new and powerful allies, and a frighteningly bold electoral mandate. They have long maintained their innocence. In some interviews, Marcos has let slip that he sees himself as the victim of mainstream media, insinuating that journalists have their own agenda. Borrowing a line from Donald Trumps playbook against liberal media outlets, he has recast as fake news legitimate evidence of his familys ill-gotten wealth. A huge factor in 2022, of course, is the reach of social media and the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation. But first, they must acknowledge their failure to listen. Their family has gone from being a plunderer (there are still pending cases against Imelda Marcos and Jr himself) to become heralds of national rebirth. According to the October 2021 survey, Marcos leads all presidential bets in 12 characteristics respondents were made to choose from. HQ of Philippine carrier Smart padlocked, 12-year-old runs over his father in Saudi Arabia, Body parts of Hong Kong model found in refrigerator, Hundreds of fish 'rained from the sky' in Australia, Video: Two trains collide in Greece, 36 killed, Premier League: Chelsea announce fan advisory board, Art events, outdoor markets and festivals in Dubai, Qatars Emir receives Tahnoun and Mansour, Abdullah bin Zayed chairs G20 Steering Committee meet, Pakistan begins 1st digital population, housing census. 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