Philippine dictator son's presidential run triggers protests

MANILA – The lad and namesake of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was toppled successful a 1986 pro-democracy uprising, registered his candidacy Wednesday for adjacent year’s statesmanlike elections, sparking a protestation by activists who angrily recalled the wide quality rights atrocities that marked the martial instrumentality epoch nether his precocious father.

Former legislator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. filed his papers with the elections commission, past waved astatine dozens of supporters chanting his name. The 64-year-old announced his candidacy Tuesday, vowing to unite Filipinos to flooded the challenges successful the aftermath of of the coronavirus pandemic. But issues surrounding the Marcoses proceed to stoke governmental divisions much than 3 decades aft the dictator’s downfall.

More than 100 anti-Marcos activists vowed to run against Marcos Jr. and burned effigies of his begetter and the existent president, Rodrigo Duterte, an state of the Marcoses, successful a protestation astatine the Commission connected Human Rights. They waved placards that work “never again” and recalled the monolithic rights violations that took spot aft Marcos placed the Philippines nether martial regularisation from 1972 to 1981.

Ad

“This is similar deja vu,” said protestation person Tinay Palabay. “It’s a slap connected the faces of the victims of the wide torture, rapes and disappearances. Some families are inactive looking for missing martial instrumentality victims until now.”

Palabay said a conjugation of left-wing and quality rights groups would signifier much thoroughfare and online protests against Marcos Jr.’s candidacy and propulsion the Supreme Court to uphold a graft condemnation of his mother, erstwhile archetypal woman Imelda Marcos, and inquire different candidates not to align with him.

Marcos was ousted successful a 1986 army-backed “people power” uprising and died successful exile successful Hawaii 3 years aboriginal without admitting immoderate wrongdoing, including accusations that helium and his household amassed an estimated $5 cardinal to $10 cardinal portion helium was successful power.

Marcos placed the Philippines nether martial regularisation connected Sept. 21, 1972, a twelvemonth earlier his word was to expire. He padlocked Congress, ordered the apprehension of governmental opponents and ruled by decree.

Ad

A Hawaii tribunal recovered Marcos liable for quality rights violations and awarded $2 cardinal from his property to compensate much than 9,000 Filipinos who filed a suit against him for torture, incarceration, extrajudicial killings and disappearances.

Imelda Marcos and her children were allowed to instrumentality to the Philippines successful 1991, and person since made a governmental comeback, winning seats successful Congress and almighty provincial posts and laying the crushed for a instrumentality to the statesmanlike palace and the apical occupation they felt was stolen from them.

Marcos Jr. is the latest to articulation the contention to win Duterte, who has been successful the crosshairs of quality rights groups himself for a brutal crackdown connected amerciable drugs that has near thousands of suspects dead. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, a erstwhile nationalist constabulary main who besides was pugnacious connected crime, registered his candidacy Wednesday. Retired boxing prima Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Isko Moreno person besides enlisted for what is expected to beryllium a crowded and hostile campaign.

Ad

Vice President Leni Robredo, who leads the opposition, is expected to denote her candidacy Thursday aft talks failed among starring politicians to unite down a azygous campaigner against whoever Duterte and his ruling enactment volition endorse to win him.

Marcos Jr. narrowly mislaid to Robredo successful the 2016 vice statesmanlike contention and past unsuccessfully contested alleged elections irregularities. Robredo has criticized his refusal to apologize and explicit remorse for the abuses nether his father’s dictatorship and has said she was acceptable for a caller faceoff.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.