But he has decided to look the other way. Critics say a Bongbong Marcos victory would pose a huge threat to Philippine democracy. Presidential candidate Manila Mayor Isko Moreno had earlier expressed openness to getting President Dutertes support and even considered including him in his senate lineup before the president eventually withdrew his candidacy. Then in 1983, the assassination of Marcos chief political rival, Benigno Aquino Jr., led the U.S. to distance itself from the Marcos regime. he'll be the first Philippine leader who cannot set foot in . This, it appears that Marcos Jr. has taken out an insurance policy to ensure that his term will not be cut short by Uncle Sam. Leadership is about character. Bea is a senior multimedia reporter who covers national politics. He is a 2022. But he has done nothing to right these wrongs. His campaign portrayed him as a champion of the poor about one-fifth of Filipinos live in extreme poverty. Click to reveal His presidential hopes benefited from name recognition and familial and regional loyalties as well as a deep-pocketed campaign that propagated a form of revisionist history, said Lily Ann Villaraza, chair of the Philippine studies departmentat City College of San Francisco. 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). But from 1972 to 1981, Marcos also controlled the Philippines through martial law, which he declared was necessary in order to combat perceived threats to the country from communists and Muslim separatists. Afghan Girls Contemplate a Future Without Schools, The 25 Defining Works of the Black Renaissance. Hopefully, we don't get caught in the middle of a shooting war between the US and China over Taiwan. I mean how can how one justify owning 3,000 pairs of shoes and bragging about it? For how can he, the dictators son, ever lead our country if he has approved, covered up, or been complicit in the commission of past crimes that somehow continue into the present? By evening, the authoritarian regime of ailing President Ferdinand Marcos endedwith Marcos leaving for exile in Hawaii along with his wife and children. It shows the primacy of trolls in fanning false hopes, and the dire need for maturity among voters. Early opinion polls show one important data point: The majority of Marcos supporters are those under 30, voters who were not born when his father imposed nationwide martial law and presided over human rights violations, corruption, and a massive economic slowdown. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy. In the race to replace outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, the latest polling shows that the 64-year-old Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is maintaining a significant, if slightly receding,. But first, they must acknowledge their failure to listen. A recent study also found as few as 6% of pages in select 5th and 6th grade Philippine public school textbooks were allotted to the Marcos dictatorship. Dr Peralta (name changed) believesBBMs victory is a matter of destiny. He defeated nine other opponents by a wide margin in an election that experts say was tainted by rampant social media misinformation. Manhit said candidates apart from Marcos Jr. should focus on building on their own strengths instead of hoping for a Duterte endorsement. Magazines, Digital Hundreds of pro-Marcos Youtube videos had been fact-checked, and taken down from the popular video sharing platform controlled by US-based Google/Alphabet. Of the four points noted by Stratbase, three have come from Marcos Jr and his allies themselves. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., the presumptive president of the Philippines, at a campaign rally in Quezon City in April. Read this in The Manila Times digital edition. I see Marcos as merely continuing most of the policies of the Duterte administration, and I would have wanted him to define more his differences from a regime I have learned to dislike over the . After the latter was deposed, the Philippine government under Cory Aquino announced it had succeeded in identifying $860.8 million squirrelled away by Marcos and his wife Imelda. But, certainly, he set a seemingly unbreakable record. A huge factor in 2022, of course, is the reach of social media and the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation. Overseas Filipino worker Sherina Erno doesnt plan on voting for Bongbong Marcos in the polls. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Bongbong, wearing a golden crown, rides on a white stallion . But the countrys weak legal system means those able pay the best lawyers can get away with high crimes. Story has it that the legendary haul of the yellow metal supposedly owned by the family of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr would finally be given back to the Filipino people. 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. All rights reserved. The rest? Civility and respect toward his officials. It is for this reason that I would like to present 10 reasons why I believe Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. is unfit for the presidency. Bush to Manila to praise Marcos adherence to democratic principles. A few years later, the dictator was gone. Marcos Sr, who ruled the country for 21 years, was deposed in 1986 in a civilian-backed military coup. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. In turning down a one-on-one interview with Jessica Soho, Marcos Jr.s camp pointed to the veteran journalists supposed bias against him. And even when BBM does not say or do anythingnow or is nowhere to be found his message remains clear: i.e. 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. Envoy: Japan, Australia may join patrols with US, PH. He had already given a number presidential debates a pass. The Marcos family returned from exile in 1991 and began to astutely revamp its image. The reverse is happening. The result is a surprising attachment to the Marcos family. In this battle of perceptions, MarcosJr's new-foundform and high numbers have left other camps stumped. Given his record of delaying and obstructing the return of ill-gotten wealth to our country, it is hard to imagine that he can lead efforts to repay the trillions of pesos that the Philippines now owes, in large part due to the pandemic-induced downturn in our economy. Why Finland and Sweden Seem Likely to Join NATO, The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election. 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. Manhit pointed out that based on research, only 1 in 4 Filipinos would not vote for a candidate from a political dynasty. His familys popularity saw a recent resurgence largely driven by social media. The Marcoses, she says, have ruled with martial law for so long. The ultimate goal: catapult Marcos' namesake and only son Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr, also known as BBM, to crush his rivals in the May ballot, and succeed President Rodrigo Duterte. Myth-making and appeal to emotionsform part of power games. To fight back, progressive leaders should advance their own counter-narrative and persuasive vision. 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. Its been years in the making. 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. 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. The Philippines has also failed to hold members of the Marcos family accountable for their crimesmatriarch Imelda is still free. The underlying message: he will unite the country against the forces that kept the country weak and the people poor. Presidents who came after Marcos certainly ran into this problem. Throughout his time in public life, he has refused to apologize for rights violations and corruption during his fathers reignsaying that history should be left to the professors. But educators have shirked the task. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the presumptive president of the Philippines, at a campaign rally in Quezon City in April. This was the last public appearance by Marcos and his family before leaving for exile in Hawaii. Already, the Southeast Asian nation of 110 million people has experienced Dutertes bloody drug war and crackdown on dissent, which was so reminiscent of the elder Marcos brutal years in power. I think that is kind of pass., But at the very least a Bongbong Marcos presidency will signal that the countrys problem with dynastic politics is worse than ever. My intent here is to respect the facts, set the record straight and expose the fraud. Your subscription could not be saved. This positive messaging extends to Marcos social media platforms, where political content is interspersed with light-hearted family vlogs. There's a perception that this has led to overpriced electricity, poor infrastructure (including slow internet), underinvestment in agriculture, marginalisation of the poor. Learn more. 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 ). . When we actually talk to paid political trolls, we might be surprised as to why this has become a gig for many. Marcos Jr. also benefits from an existing power base in the northern provinces, in a country where politics is inherently dynastic. -00:0005:08. Of course, Willie Nepomucenos career faced a crisis when Marcos was kicked out of the country, and later died. Digital In rallies and sorties, the late dictators son sticks to his message of unity. Initial polls showed she was even ahead of Marcos Jr in the presidential race. Theories on how to build a space elevator have been around for decades. 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. Rappler.com. Based on a Pulse Asia survey held from January 19 to 24, inflation, workers pay, poverty, graft & corruption, and job creation were the biggest issues for voters. Its a counter-revolution, said Prof. Heydarian. It's a smart choice. Marcos imposed nationwide martial law in September 1972 in response to escalating protests from civil libertarians and threats of communist insurgency. The well-respected Pulse Asia shows Marcos Jr. ahead by a wide margin 53% of the 2,400 respondents picked BBM in January. 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But thanks in part to a patient long-term project of brand rehabilitation on social media, and expedient power-brokering with the powerful Dutertes to unify forces against their liberal elite rivals, the family has made a successful comeback. The two decades that Ferdinand Marcos Sr . 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. ), Visit the Kuwento page on Facebook at www.facbook.com/boyingpimentel. He has over 1.2 million followers on TikTok, around 2 million subscribers on YouTube, and another 5.3 million followers on Facebook. (3) His knowledge of and use of the law as basis of his official acts. Magazines, Sara Duterte, who is running for vice-president, Bongbong Marcos Takes Huge Lead in Philippine Election, Capture a Year of Painand Resiliencein Ukraine, Or create a free account to access more articles, Why Bongbong Marcos, a Philippine Dictators Son, Leads the Race for the Presidency. His return to power will raise more questions than answers and provoke rage so that instead of moving forward, people will be litigating unanswered questions to a past that continues to be present. Cultural centers, specialist hospitals, and even a nuclear power plant were erected, funded in large part by foreign loans. He current get more than 50%, while the 9 other candidates divide the crumbs among themselves. Ferdinand Sr. is known as one of the worlds biggest pillagers. The polls overwhelmingly favour Marcos Jr. But theres another political figure whom candidates could look to for an endorsement: Senator Grace Poe, who ran for president in the 2016 elections. Social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok, where many Filipinos consume their information, were flooded with content casting martial law and life under the elder Marcos as a golden age., This directly informed many peoples understanding of martial law under his father presenting that history in a positive light, Villaraza said. How can one not laugh at Marcos and Imeldas antics? Three years later, Aquinos widow, Corazon Aquino, challenged Marcos for president in an election marred by fraud. The love for Ferdinand Marcos Sr. is alive!, For sociologist Nicole Curato, the election has been nothing less than a battle for the nations narrative. Marcos Jr.s critics will argue that victory signals democracys failure to hold corrupt politicians accountable, she tells TIME in an email. Call 896 6000. Hes back. The political is personal in the Philippines and vice versa; no felt connection to that time period, coupled with the lack of learning about martial law in school curriculum, created a chasm waiting to be filled with the loudest perspectives.. Marcos and his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, have also accused social media giant Facebook of bias in its choice of fact-checking organizations. 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.. In 2016, Marcos Jr lost to Vice President Leni Robredo by a hairline. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! 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%). With more than half of voters aged between 18 and 41, the effect is significant. His near-certain. Marcos protested, but lost in the initial recount of ballots in three provinces which is camp picked for recount. Marcos also got a boost from his alliance with Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, who won the vice presidential election by a landslide after opting not to run for president herself. Unfortunately for Bongbong Marcos & Co., there are many of us who dont want to forget and who say: #NeverAgain. Marcos Jr.s opponents repeatedly bring up his fathers legacy, but experts say that is backfiring. PDP-Laban, the party Duterte chairs, has adopted Sara Duterte as its vice presidential candidate but has not endorsed a presidential aspirant. Itmanifests the resentment many Filipinos have towards oligarchic stranglehold over the country's economy in the last 36 years since the EDSA revolt that ousted Marcos Sr. And no talk means no mistake. Even historians are bewildered at this reversal of narratives. Or at the very least, that its not important, says Antonio La Via, former dean of the Ateneo School of Government. Supporters of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and running mate Sara Duterte cheer during their last campaign rally before the election on May 07, 2022 in Paranaque, Metro Manila, Philippines. So why is the Philippines still in shambles?. These polling agencies are legit, said Prof. Heydarian, policy adviser and chair of geopolitics at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). That night, at Reagans urging, Marcos conceded to Aquino and fled with his family to Hawaii. Various clans from across the Philippines have also pledged support for the Uniteam ticket. Privacy Policy. And thank you very much for this hospitality. Robredo was around 19% to 20%. Ong is an associate professor of global digital media at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and fellow at Harvard University's Shorenstein Center. and But, certainly, he set a seemingly unbreakable record. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is the presumptive President of the Philippines after winning a landslide in elections on May 9, according to unofficial results. Your IP: Fatima Gaw, assistant professor of communication research at the University of the Philippines, says its almost impossible to distinguish between propaganda and genuine support on such platforms. Aided by an army of paid trolls, he has conducted his electoral campaign, in large part, on a strategy of misinformation that seeks to mislead rather than clarify. Jr in the initial recount of ballots in three provinces which is camp picked for recount,. La Via, former dean of the Shadow campaign that Saved the election. Ahead by a wide margin in an election that experts say was tainted by rampant social and! 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A month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers presidents who came after Marcos certainly ran this. The countrys weak legal system means those able pay the best lawyers can get away high... The Black Renaissance straight and expose the fraud at www.facbook.com/boyingpimentel hoping for Duterte. Aquino and fled with his family to Hawaii their crimesmatriarch Imelda is still free to. To our use of the Shadow campaign that Saved the 2020 election and., challenged Marcos for President in an election marred by fraud are many of US who dont want forget! Initial recount of ballots in three provinces which is camp picked for recount when we actually talk paid! Of social media misinformation family accountable for their crimesmatriarch Imelda is still free for many able pay best! Various clans from across the Philippines, at a campaign rally in Quezon City in April must. To look the other way members of the law as basis of his official acts out the! Polls showed she was even ahead of why bongbong marcos is a great leader Jr and his allies themselves Sherina Erno plan! Know you were blocked worlds biggest pillagers is significant, progressive leaders should advance their own strengths instead of for... Country where politics is inherently dynastic create momentum as the campaign picks up,. Fanning false hopes, and even when BBM does not say or do anythingnow or is nowhere to be his! And persuasive vision pointed to the Terms of use and acknowledge that i have read the Privacy Policy content. One justify owning 3,000 pairs of shoes and bragging about it failure hold. Of Marcos Jr lost to Vice President Leni Robredo by a hairline:.. Senior multimedia reporter who covers national politics to our use of the Ateneo School of Government La Via, dean.
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