Former dictator’s son elected as next president of the Philippines
When Bongbong Marcos was confirmed as a president-elect, citizens who suffered under the former President Marcos’ martial law expressed deep concern that it would be difficult to conduct a strict investigation and punishment of the former dictator. This is because, in the political system in the Philippines, the incumbent president has the personnel authority of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), which is responsible for the recovery of ill-gotten wealth accumulated by former President Ferdinand Marcos’ family. Former president Marcos and his wife Imelda Marcos siphoned off about 10 billion dollars during his reign and declared martial law from 1972 to 1981, arresting about 70,000 people as enemies of the state. About half of them were tortured and more than 3,000 people were reportedly killed.
How could the son of a dictator recover his family’s tarnished image and take the presidency in 36 years? The Washington Post reported that the prospect of Marcos Jr.’s victory was a result of Marcos family’s efforts for decades and a deliberate distortion of collective memory. In the presidential election, Bongbong Marcos thoroughly campaigned on social networking sites. Instead of street campaigns or media interviews, he justified his father’s corruption through TikTok, YouTube, and his Facebook account, which boasts more than 6.98 million followers. Also, he left a message “Let’s forget the past and focus on the future.” His campaign worked well for people under the age of 40, who didn’t experience dictatorship and who take up 52 percent of all voters. <저작권자 ⓒ 먼데이타임스 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>
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