The son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos won the country’s presidential election.
In 1986, a revolution topped his late father’s two-decade dictatorship.
Ferdinand Marcos Junior, known as BongBong, clinched a victory, marking a significant return to power for a notorious family. BongBong won with double the number of votes compared to his nearest opponent, beating off challenges from both a human rights lawyer, as well as the current vice president Leni Robredo.
An unofficial tally shows that Marcos surpassed the 27.5 million votes that are needed for a majority win, which sets the stage for a once unthinkable return of the Marcos family to lead the country.
Thirty six years ago, the family had a humiliating retreat into exile during a “people power” uprising. The Marcos family returned from exile in the 1990s after a few years in exile, and remained a powerful force in politics, rearing its influence, and fuels by vast wealth and far-reaching connections.
Marcos Jr has refused to acknowledge the well documented human rights abuses committed by his father’s regime, as well as the unexplained death that the family accrued while his father was the dictator.
BongBong will begin his six-year term presidency on June 30.
It is anticipated that Marcos Jr will hear demands to prosecute the outgoing president, Rodrigo Duterte, for killing thousands of people during his anti=drug crackdown. These deaths are under investigation by the International Criminal Court.
BongBong’s running mate was no other than Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, marking an alliance of two descendants of authoritarian leaders.
Human rights activists fear the return of both Marcos Jr and Duterte.
Victims and their families of both regimes have raised concerns about the crimes against people being washed over or forgotten completely. They have condemned the return of the Marcos family, and fear that human rights could be abused again under his presidency.
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