Marcos junior’s top office bid sparks protests
Activists vow to campaign against former dictator’s son
The son and namesake of Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was toppled in a 1986 pro-democracy uprising, registered his candidacy yesterday for next year’s presidential elections, sparking a protest by activists who angrily recalled the widespread human rights atrocities that marked the martial law era under his late father.
Former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos junior, 64, filed his papers with the elections commission, then waved at dozens of supporters chanting his name. He had announced his candidacy on Tuesday. More than 100 antiMarcos activists vowed to campaign against Marcos junior and burnt effigies of his father and the current president, Rodrigo Duterte, an ally of the Marcoses, in a protest at the Commission on Human Rights. They waved placards that read “never again” and recalled the massive rights violations that took place after Marcos placed the Philippines under martial rule from 1972 to 1981.
“This is like déjà vu,” said protest leader Tinay Palabay. “It’s a slap on the faces of the victims of the widespread torture, rapes and disappearances.”
Protest leader Tina Palabay said a coalition of leftwing and human rights groups would organise more street and online protests against Marcos Jr.’s candidacy.
More protests
Palabay said a coalition of leftwing and human rights groups would organise more protests against Marcos Jr.’s candidacy and push the Supreme Court to uphold a graft conviction of his mother, former first lady Imelda Marcos, and ask other candidates not to align with him.
Marcos was ousted in a 1986 army-backed “people power’’ uprising and died in exile in Hawaii three years later without admitting any wrongdoing.
Marcos placed the Philippines under martial rule on Sept 21, 1972, a year before his term was to expire. He padlocked Congress, ordered the arrest of political opponents.