Rise of the Son: The Hindu Editorial on Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s Resounding Victory in the Philippines

Brilliant victory for Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of former dictator Ferdinand MarcosMonday’s presidential election is a testament to the structural change that has taken place in Philippines politics in more than three decades. The regime of the senior Marcos – he was president twice before declaring martial law – was known for fraud and corruption, even accused of stealing billions from state treasuries. The “People Power Revolution” took years, starting with the assassination of opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1983 to overthrow the dictatorship in 1986. Thirty-six years later, Mr. Marcos Jr., who never did. Denied abuse of his father’s rule, receiving 30.5 million votes out of 67 million votes (unofficial result), compared to 14.5 million votes received by his nearest rival, Vice President María Leonor Robredo. As ironic as it may sound, his victory is not surprising. The Marcos family, who had returned to the country in 1991 after six years of exile, immediately began to regain their lost glory. The dictator’s wife Imelda contested and lost in the 1992 presidential election. Mr. Marcos Jr. has been active in politics since the late 1990s. Now, with his thumping victory in one of the most consequential elections in the post-dictatorship era, once defamed family The Southeast Asian nation is set to determine the future once again.

Little is known about the policy priorities of Mr. Marcos Jr. He skipped presidential debates and declined to give media interviews. Instead, he addressed his supporters directly and his team launched a highly efficient online campaign focused on reimagining the era of dictatorship as one of prosperity and opportunity. This seems to have stirred the voters. He also shook hands with outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio became his running mate. Six years ago, Mr. Duterte ran a similar campaign. He blamed pro-democracy establishment parties for poverty and growing inequality. Once in power, he attacked the country’s institutions, launched the “War on Drugs” that killed thousands of Filipinos, and ordered the burial of senior Marcos’ bodies in the Heroes’ Cemetery. Mr. Marcos Jr.’s refusal to distance himself from his family’s political legacy and join hands with Dutertes have raised concerns of a further erosion of democracy. Given the six years of Mr Duterte’s rule, such fears were not entirely unfounded. In his first remarks after the election, Mr. Marcos Jr. called on the public to “judge me by my actions, not by my ancestors”. If he is serious, the presidency is his opportunity to prove his critics wrong. He can do this by recovering the billions looted during his father’s rule, strengthening institutional democracy and restoring accountability among the political class.