His rise to power, 36 years after the army-backed “People’s Power” uprising that led to his father’s global disgrace, overturned politics in Asian democracy, where a public holiday, monuments and the Philippine Constitution are reminiscent of tyranny. power of his father. Activists and survivors of the martial law era under his father protested the inauguration of Marcos Jr., which took place at a luncheon at the steps of the National Museum in Manila. Thousands of police, including riot police, SWAT commandos and snipers, were deployed in the tourist area near the bay for security. Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and the wife of US Vice President Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff, were among the foreign officials present. “Does this really happen?” asked Bonifacio Ilagan, a 70-year-old activist who was detained and severely tortured by insurgent forces during the reign of Elder Marco before the inauguration. “For victims of martial law like me, this is a nightmare.” Such historical baggage and rivalries haunt Marcos Jr. during a six-year presidency that began in a time of intense crisis. The Philippines was among the countries hardest hit in Asia by the two-year coronavirus pandemic, with more than 60,000 deaths and prolonged lockdowns leading the economy to its worst recession since World War II and exacerbating poverty, unemployment and hunger. As the pandemic subsided earlier this year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked global inflation and sparked fears of food shortages. Last week, Marcos Jr. announced that he would serve as Georgia’s interim secretary of state to prepare for possible food emergency emergencies. “I think the problem is quite serious,” he said, adding that he had asked his top advisers to prepare for “emergencies, especially when it comes to food supply”. He also inherited decades of Muslim and communist uprisings, crime, inequality and political divisions sparked by his election. Congress last month declared its overwhelming victory, as well as that of incumbent Sarah Duterte’s running mate, in the vice-presidential race. “I ask you to pray for me, to wish me well. “I want to do well because when the president does well, the country does well,” he said after declaring to Congress without answering questions. Marcos Jr. received more than 31 million votes and Sarah Duterte more than 32 million of the more than 55 million votes cast in the May 9 election – huge victories that will give them strong political capital as they face enormous challenges as well as doubts that arise. from the fame of their fathers. It was the first major presidential victory in the Philippines in decades. Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte has spearheaded a violent anti-drug campaign that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead in an unprecedented scale of killings that the International Criminal Court has been investigating as a possible crime against her. The investigation was suspended in November, but the ICC’s attorney general requested that it be resumed immediately. Marcos Jr. and Sarah Duterte have faced calls to help prosecute her father and work with the International Court of Justice when they operate, a looming political dilemma. Marc Jr., a former governor, lawmaker and senator, refused to acknowledge or apologize for massive human rights abuses and looting under his father and defended his legacy. During the election campaign, he and Sarah Duterte avoided controversial issues and focused on the call for national unity, although their fathers’ presidencies opened up some of the most volatile divisions in the country’s history. Marcos Jr. appealed to be judged “not by my ancestors, but by my actions.” His father was ousted from power in a largely peaceful pro-democracy uprising in 1986 and died in 1989 while in exile in Hawaii without admitting to any wrongdoing, including allegations that he, his family and friends raised an estimated $ 5 billion to $ 10 billion while in power. . A Hawaiian court later found him responsible for human rights abuses and awarded $ 2 billion to more than 9,000 Filipinos who have filed charges against him for torture, imprisonment, extrajudicial killings and disappearances. Imelda Marcos and her children were allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991 and worked on a stunning political comeback, with the help of a well-funded social media campaign to renew the family name. Marcos Jr.’s alliance with Sarah Duterte, whose father remains popular despite his human rights record, and his strong recall as a member of one of the country’s most prominent political dynasties helped him take over the presidency. Many Filipinos also remained poor and frustrated with post-Marc governments, said Manila analyst Richard Heydarian. “This allowed the Marcoses to present themselves as the alternative,” Heydarian said, adding that “an uncontrollable social media landscape has allowed their misinformation network to redefine the dark days of martial law as the supposed golden age of the Philippines.” Along the main boulevard of Metropolitan Manila, highlights are the shrines and monuments of democracy erected after the fall of Mark in 1986. The anniversary of his ouster is celebrated every year as a special national holiday and a presidential committee that has worked for decades. to recover the illicit wealth of the Marcos still exists. Marcos Jr. has not explained how he will deal with such strong reminders of the past.
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