MANILA, Philippines ( Associated Press) — Ferdinand Marcos, the son of the ousted dictator of the same name, was sworn in as Philippine president on Thursday in one of the biggest political comebacks in recent history, but opponents say a facelift will be needed. Thanks for was received. Philippines. his family.
Marcos Jr.’s rise to power – 36 years after the military-backed “People Power” rebellion that sent his father to global notoriety – is a political upheaval in this Asian democracy, where holidays, memorials and constitutions commemorate his father. It’s a tyrannical regime.
But in his inaugural speech, Marcos Jr. defended the legacy of his late father, who said he had achieved many things that had not been achieved since the country’s independence, and said he would emulate them.
“He did it, sometimes with the necessary support, sometimes without it. So it would be with his son,” he said, applauding his supporters in the crowd. “I will not give you any excuse.”
“My father built more and better roads, he produced more rice than all previous governments,” said Marcos Jr., who praised the infrastructure projects of his equally controversial predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte.
The new president called for unity. He did not mention the human rights atrocities or plundering for which his father was accused, and said he would speak of the future, not the past.
Martial law era activists and survivors under Ferdinand Marcos Sr. protest during the presidential inauguration of Marcos Jr. on the steps of the National Museum in Manila. Thousands of police, including riot squads, elite officers and snipers, were deployed to ensure security in the Gulf’s tourism district.
Dignitaries present at the ceremony included Chinese Vice President Wang Wishan and Doug Emhoff, husband of US Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Wow, is this really happening?” asked Bonifacio Illagan, a 70-year-old activist who was detained and tortured by counter-terrorism forces during the Marcos Sr. regime. “For martial law victims like me, it’s a nightmare.”
This historical background and opposition will appear to haunt Marcos Jr. during his six-year presidency, which will begin at a time of acute crisis.
After more than 60,000 deaths and a prolonged lockdown, the Philippines is among Asia’s worst-hit two years by the COVID-19 pandemic, which plunged the economy into the worst recession since World War II And its level declined. unemployment and hunger.
