Duterte hails Marcos as a ‘hero’

Batac: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hailed late dictator Ferdinand Marcos as a hero for many Filipinos during a weekend of emotional celebrations by supporters of the former strongman ahead of his 100th birth anniversary.

Duterte’s latest remarks are part of an escalating campaign to rehabilitate the image of Marcos and help the family’s remarkable political comeback – with the dictator’s widow, Imelda a congresswoman and their son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Jr angling to become vice-president.

The outspoken Duterte, who has previously hailed Marcos as the country’s best-ever president, has declared the anniversary a holiday in Marcos’ home province of Ilocos Norte where they still wield political power.

“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, who has himself faced accusations of major human rights abuses, 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, who was ousted in an army-backed popular revolt in 1986 and died in exile in Hawaii three years later, has been accused of embezzling billions of dollars from state coffers during his rule.

Anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2004 named him the second most corrupt leader of all time, behind Indonesian dictator Suharto.

Marcos also oversaw widespread human rights abuses to maintain his grip on the country and enable his plundering, with thousands of people killed, tortured or imprisoned, rights advocates and previous Philippine governments said.

However, 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 various events in Ilocos in recent days showcasing the rule of their patriarch, including a Catholic mass and the unveiling of a plaque yesterday at the family’s ancestral home town of Batac.

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

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