Duterte hails dictator Marcos as a hero

BATAC: President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday hailed late dictator Ferdinand Marcos as a “hero” to many Filipinos, brushing aside a history of corruption and rights abuses under the former strongman.

Duterte is stepping up efforts to rehabilitate the image of Marcos, who was ousted in an armybacked popular revolt in 1986 and died in exile in Hawaii in 1989, as the Marcos family and their allies prepare to hold celebrations today marking 100 years since his birth.

The outspoken Duterte has declared the anniversary a holiday in Marcos’ home province of Ilocos Norte.

“He was a president. To the Ilocanos, he was the greatest president. Why do we have to debate on that?” Duterte said on Saturday.

“As far as the Ilocanos (are) concerned, Marcos is a hero,” he added, calling criticisms of the former leader “hogwash” and “garbage”.

Duterte is a friend of the Marcos family and has played a key role in bolstering their efforts to regain the top echelons of political power.

Marcos was accused of embezzling billions of dollars from state coffers, with anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2004 naming him the second most corrupt leader of all time, behind Indonesian dictator Suharto.

No member of the Marcos clan has ever gone to prison and the family has made a stunning political comeback in recent years.

They have hosted events in Ilocos in recent days showcasing the rule of their patriarch, including a Catholic mass and an event to unveil a plaque yesterday at the family’s ancestral home here.

Batac resident Lita Lampitoc, 72, summed up the adulation, saying: “We are Ilocanos, so we are all for Marcos.”

Asked about the opposition to Marcos, she said: “They do not know Marcos. We know Marcos. We don’t know anything about those angry at Marcos.”

Duterte stunned the nation last November by allowing Marcos to be buried at the national “Heroes’ Cemetery” despite widespread outcry. AFP