A new era has begun: the Philippines has welcomed a new President.
The 64-year-old Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. took his oath as the 17th President of the Republic of the Philippines after winning over 31 million Filipinos during the May 9 national and local elections.
He is the son and namesake of the Philippines' late strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who was embroiled in corruption and human rights violations and was ousted after two decades in power.
One of the notorious family names in the Philippine politics, the Marcoses resurgence in power has been attributed immensely by social media. And now that they are back in power, the family admitted to wanting nothing but to elucidate the legacy of their late father.
Here’s what you need to know about Marcos Jr., and what to expect under his administration.
Who is Marcos Jr.?
As the only son of the late dictator, Bongbong has been long poised by his mother, former first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, to follow in the footsteps of his father.
However, vying for the presidency was his own decision despite Imelda, 92, being the "supreme politician" in their family.
"The decision was mine, I really have to say the decision was mine. Of course, I consulted everyone whose opinions I value, both in and out of politics. Of course my family, I had to ask them because if I do this, all our lives will change," he said in an interview.
At the age of 23, he has become the vice governor of their home province Ilocos Norte.
He was governor when, six years later, his family was chased into exile in Hawaii following a People Power Revolution that toppled his father's regime in 1986. Three years later, Marcos Sr. died and their family returned in 1991.
Upon their return to the Philippines, Marcos Jr. became a congressional representative in his home province. He was again elected governor of Ilocos Norte before completing another term as a representative. In 2010, Marcos Jr. became a senator.
In 2016, he ran for vice president and was defeated by Leni Robredo — a former human rights lawyer and his closest rival in the 2022 presidential race.
What are his controversies?
Being a Marcos comes with a price.
Although Bongbong refused to be held accountable for the billions of pesos that their family stole from the Filipinos, many historians believed that he somehow benefitted from it up to this day.
"My parents would never let us forget: This is not yours, this is from the people. Everything we have, all the advantages we have gained, any the successes, and any comfort or privilege we enjoy comes from the people," he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
Marcos' educational background has been occasionally put into question during the campaign period. His Senate profile initially stated that he had an Oxford degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. However, Oxford itself made a clarification, saying that he failed to finish a degree and was only given a special diploma.
But Marcos insisted he graduated from the prestigious university in 1978.
His presidential candidacy was also caught in another issue after several critics and victims of human rights violations during the Martial Law era filed a case against him urging the Commission on Elections to disqualify his bid due to decad3es-old tax cases.
However, just days before his inauguration, the Supreme Court moved to reject the cases, stating that "Marcos Jr is qualified to run for and be elected to public office."
What are his plans for the country?
Unity — this has been the echoing theme of Marcos' campaign and seemingly, once his administration begins.
He also vowed to prioritize pandemic recovery and the economy. He also has pledged to aid the farm sector, de-congest the capital Manila’s roads, push renewables and continue fighting a long-running communist insurgency.
Marcos also eyes to maintain the alliance of the country with the United States when it comes to foreign policies.
At the same time, Marcos has said he plans to negotiate a deal with China to resolve a longstanding territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
