The end justifies the means

FROM the start of their political careers no other family in the Philippines has taken to heart the Machiavellian principle of “the end justifies the means” as much as the Marcos family.

Throughout our history, they seem to employ all means possible to get into power and stay in power.

In 1963, a young Senator Ferdinand Marcos held the chairmanship of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance, in charge of approving the National Budget for the administration of President Diosdado Macapagal.

Then, Marcos was eyeing a presidential run under a platform of being the most bemedaled war hero in the history of the Philippines. Since medals for heroism are usually awarded by the president of the Philippines, who was back then eligible for re-election, Marcos saw that he had an ace up his sleeve against President Macapagal.

His ploy was for President Macapagal to award him more decorations, cementing his legacy as the most bemedaled soldier in the country, and in exchange he would not vie for the presidency against Macapagal.

According to academic sources, Macapagal awarded then Senator Ferdinand Marcos a total of 10 medals in one day, an unprecedented number for one ex-soldier. We all know what happened in the end. Marcos betrayed Macapagal, bolted their party to run under another, and eventually defeat Macapagal in the 1965 elections.

Fast-forward to the early part of 2015. Marcos Jr. was an incumbent first-term senator set to run for higher office. Some analysts, at the time, said that if he were to run for president, he would lose. He stood a better chance of taking the second highest position in the land.

Marcos Jr., however, had a small glitch in this scheme. Despite our constitution allowing for the president and vice president to be elected separately, he still needed a runningmate to legitimize his vice-presidential bid.

He found an ailing Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who wanted a final presidential run as a swan song to her political career.