MANILA – The President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Emmanuel Marcos, was sworn in on Thursday, sealing a family return that had been going on for decades. Marcos Jr., 64, won a landslide victory in the May elections. More than 30 million votes were cast in his favor, making Marco the first presidential candidate to win a majority after the revolution that ousted his father 36 years ago. His election suggests a continuing preference for populist leaders among Filipinos – who have been ruled for the past six years by the ruthless Rodrigo Duterte, best known internationally for his drug war that has left thousands dead. Burials, exhumations, rage: A day in the endless drug war in the Philippines Marcos Jr., known as “Bongbong”, is taking office as the Philippine economy begins to recover from the pandemic. It is one of the fastest growing nations in Southeast Asia and many restrictions on the coronavirus have been lifted. But inflation remains a threat and poor infrastructure is an obstacle to growth. The president must also balance relations between an assertive China, the regional giant, and the United States, an ally of the treaty. Washington was represented at the ceremony, which took place at the National Museum in the capital, by a delegation led by the second Mr. Doug Emhoff. Hundreds of supporters spread out on the grass at the golf course in front of the museum. Sheryl Patalinhog Velez, 25, wore a red dress given to her by her mother, which she adjusted with green touches to match the colors of the Marcos campaign. She said it took her a month to make the dress, using recycled material such as bottle caps, which were arranged to look like “a sun for Sir BBM”, she said, using Marcos’ nickname. He also wore an improvised ring, which he said symbolized a “cute” Imelda, his mother. He added that they made her a doll in the hope that they would take care of her “so that they could adopt me or give me a job”. Fears of clashes between supporters and critics or harsh police crackdowns did not materialize, and demonstrations in support of and against Mark were held without violence on Thursday. Survivors of Elder Marc’s authoritarian regime – which includes some 70,000 detained and tens of thousands tortured – held a special ceremony just outside the capital, Quezon, during which they pledged to “protect themselves from tyranny”. “Survivors are an endangered race, if not an endangered species, and now is the time to correct the lies and reveal the truth,” said Tina Bawagan, a spokeswoman for the survivors. “Most of us who are left are in the last quarter of our lives. “We are horrified by how the Marcoses tried to deny this dark and horrific period of history.” How the brutal history of the Philippines whitens voters In another anti-Marcos demonstration, this time at the Plaza Miranda, near the inauguration site, 200 people gathered to protest. They were temporarily rested by a flight of three military aircraft from the nearby ceremony and then rebuked. “There is no difference between Marcos and Duterte,” the crowd shouted. “They are both dogs, dictators and fascists!” In his opening remarks, Marcos Jr. repeated the message of unity he gave to the campaign, that he was here to gather all Filipinos, while referring to the years in power of his father. “He did it,” said Marcos Jr. “So it will be with his son.” Shortly afterwards, however, the president said he would not “talk about the past.” As dictator’s son rises to power, misinformation breaks Philippine families The Marcos family is estimated to have plundered about $ 10 billion over two decades in power tarnished by human rights abuses. But the new president has benefited from a sophisticated campaign of misinformation and a change of name on social media. The Philippine political system is dominated by family dynasties and a tradition of patronage. Marcos’s mother, Imelda, now 92, attended the inauguration. He was convicted of bribery but never imprisoned. His sister, Imee, is a senator, and his eldest son, Ferdinand Alexander, will serve as lawmaker. The new vice president is Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of the outgoing president. He was sworn in this month, but held the vice presidency until Thursday. During the campaign, Marcos skipped discussions and interviews. It offered minimal policy details, contrary to a vague promise of unity. Several of the top financial officials he named served in the administration of the liberal former president Benigno Aquino III, whose family was a political opponent of the Marcoses. There is an “almost confrontation between political and technocratic appointees” in the cabinet so far, said economist Ronald Mendoza, dean of the Ateneo School of Government. The Markos family can reassure critics by actively participating in reforms, he added. “Otherwise, they would have wasted χρυσ a golden opportunity to try to rejuvenate [Marcos reputation]”I do not think you will have this opportunity again for the whole race,” he said. But critics fear a Marcos presidency means a setback for institutional reform in a fledgling democracy with rampant corruption. Human rights defenders note that the president has pledged to continue his predecessor’s drug war, although he has said he would do so legally. Duterte-Carpio’s position also means that the new government is unlikely to cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s investigation into her father’s deadly policies. Proponents of his case have been working to make the actual transcript of this statement available online. Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Resa and Rappler’s company are facing a number of cases that are expected to be transferred to the new administration. Ressa announced on Wednesday that the Hellenic Capital Market Commission has strengthened an earlier order to close Rappler, which plans to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
