Ferdinand Marcos Jr. His father became the Philippines’ 17th President last week, after more than four decades in politics that began under the shadow of former Filipino leader Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
Marcos Jr. Known by the nickname “Bongbong” or “BBM” for short, he is the only son of Marcos Sr., who ruled the Philippines as president and prime minister from 1965 to 1986. Marcos Sr. Declared martial law in the Philippines. Almost half of his tenure (1972–1980) led to what many derided as a dictatorship. Although he ran for elections before becoming president or prime minister, there were irregular calls and allegations of corruption.
The Filipinos chose Marcos Sr. They became their tenth president in 1965 and were re-elected in 1969. However, starting in 1971, it “created middle-class fears” against the backdrop of a “leap of student radicalization” and [an] increase in violence [anti-capitalist] The Philippine government used the demonstrations to justify martial law on September 23, 1972, the Philippine government said. official newspaper.
“Martial law is not just the President’s call [Marcos]The emergency powers under the 1935 Constitution went further, assuming all administrative powers, abolishing the courts of law, and systematically replacing the 1935 Constitution with the 1973 Constitution for its own purposes.
CNN’s left wing said in May about Marcos Sr.’s leadership, “Human rights groups have imprisoned, tortured, or killed tens of thousands of people for alleged or genuine criticism of the government.” since 1972. “Besides the restrictions on citizens’ rights and brutal military police, the Marcos regime has been marked by rampant corruption, with nearly $10 billion stolen from the Philippine people.”
US-backed Marcos Sr. He was expelled from Malacañang in 1986 during a nonviolent “people power” revolution led mostly by Filipino civilians. A popular uprising Marcos Sr. and his family, who, with Washington’s help, fled to the US state of Hawaii in 1986. Marcos was a senior at the time.He succeeded the widow of his political rival Corazon Aquino as President of the Philippines and died in Hawaii in 1989.
Marcos Jr., 64, served as deputy governor of his father’s home province of Ilocos Norte in the northern Philippines from 1980 to 1983, and later served as governor of Ilocos Norte from 1983 to 1986.
“When Marcos Jr. became vice-governor of the northern state of Ilocos Norte in 1980, he was 23 years old with no opposition from his father’s party. [the right-wing New Society Movement (KBL)]”, according to CNN.
The political scion returned from Hawaii to the Philippines in 1991 and, despite his father’s flawed legacy, immediately launched a successful campaign for Congressman Ilocos Norte (District 2). Ilocos Norte may have accepted young Marcos quickly, as his family has long ties to the area. Filipinos have historically elected several political dynasties locally and nationally. Filipino politicians often establish a strong base of support in their province and then try to maintain territorial dominance as the Marcos family seems to have successfully accomplished in Ilocos Norte.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The Philippines waved the Philippine flag at the last campaign rally before the May 7, 2022 election in Paranaca, Metro Manila. (Ezra Hakayan/Getty Images)
Professors from the University of the Philippines-Diliman observed in 2013. ”[a] A general trend in Philippine politics where 70 percent of the members of the 15th Congress of the Philippines are dynastic. ”
Marcos Jr. He was a congressman for Ilocos Norte (2nd District) from 1992 to 1995, until he was elected Governor of Ilocos Norte in 1998. He held this position from 2007 to 2010 before making his first foray into national politics. Marcos Jr. He was elected Senator of the Philippines in 2010 and remained in office until 2016.
Without creating a clearly defined ideological personality, Marcos had tremendous success as a politician, instead speaking under populist banners and taking measures such as increasing public spending on the middle left and easing the national war against communist terrorists, ideas shared by his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte. .
Marcos Jr. He was a member of the Philippine Nationalist populist political party from 2009 to 2021. Prior to that, she represented the populist Kilusan Bagong Lipunan Party (a branch of the Nationalist Party) from 1980 to 2009.
In June, Marcos Jr. He proposed marriage. He said he plans to continue Duterte’s “war on drugs” in the Philippines, where his administration is close to drug traffickers. In May, Marcos Jr. explained. his then administration’s 2023 budget amounted to a record 5.268 trillion pesos, or about US$94.3 billion.
“The proposed budget for next year is equivalent to 22.1% of the country’s gross domestic product,” says Philippine news agency GMA.
“The budget ceiling approved by the economy executives exceeded the 5.242 trillion pesos set by the economics team in December 2021,” the GMA said.
According to the Voice of America (VOA) report, the young Marcos administration said in mid-June that it would work on a less strict national definition of communist terrorist to avoid demonizing political opponents or activists in the field of human rights.
Marcos Jr. Officially appointed by the Philippine government. “Five suspected Muslim militants and six suspected members of the banned Communist Party were considered ‘terrorists’.” [in mid-June] The US government-funded publisher BenarNews said the move would allow authorities to freeze financial assets that could be used to finance the attacks.
It is mentioned on the official website of Marcos Jr. He said the following about his political policies:
While governor, BBM made Ilocos Norte a prime state. […] Despite the arid terrain, BBM has improved both the agricultural and tourist landscape of Northern Ilocos. Under his leadership, the province became both an exporter of agricultural products and a tourist center.
Also on the website is Marcos Jr. He said he was “a supporter of renewable energy for sustainable development” and has “built wind farms in various parts of the province”. [Ilocos Norte] to supply power not only for Ilocos Norte, but also for the entire island of Luzon. ”
First Lady Bird Johnson, second President from left. Lyndon Johnson (left) and Mrs. Imelda Marcos, wife of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos (right), arrives at Lincoln Center for the Metropolitan Opera’s inaugural performance, September 16, 1966 in New York. (AP Photo)
On May 26, Marcos Jr. commented. Regarding China’s increasing occupation of Philippine territory in the South China Sea:
There is no room for maneuver. Our sovereignty is sacred. We will never compromise. We are a sovereign nation with a functioning government. We don’t need anyone to tell us how to run our own country. There is no room for negotiation. It is sacred, inviolable.
Marcos ran as an independent for the first time in the 2016 Philippine presidential election (the country elects its presidents and vice presidents separately). In the end, Marcos’ campaign was not successful because he finished second after Leni Robredo. He lost by a small margin in history and the poll results were not successful.
Duterte, who was replaced as president by “Bongbong” last week, is Marcos Jr. met with. In September 2015, he allegedly discussed running for president and vice president respectively in the 2016 Philippine general election, CNN reported at the time. Philippines. While this theoretical tandem has not been fulfilled, it suggests the two leaders may have had a common political view.
Marcos allegedly promised to avenge his 2016 defeat by running against Robredo again in the 2022 Philippine presidential election. He became President of the Philippines on May 11, defeating both Robredo and Filipino Senator Manny Pacquiao.
“Marcos, 64, showed no real political platform campaigning on a simple but vague message of unity,” the political news agency Reuters reported on May 10.
Rodrigo Duterte will not be running for president again in 2022 because Philippine law limits the presidency to a six-year term.
Marcos Jr. ran successfully. In the 2022 Philippine presidential election, as chairman of the Federal Party of the Philippines (PFP), a federalism-based political party formed by his predecessor Duterte. Marcos Jr. joined forces. Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, to former Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte to run for president and vice president, respectively, in this year’s Philippine general election. Sarah Duterte was elected Vice President of the Philippines on May 9 and was sworn in on June 19.
Source: Breitbart
