Marcos a hero, says Duterte

MANILA: Philippine 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 army-back popular revolt in 1986 and died in exile, as the Marcos family and their allies prepare to hold celebrations today marking a hundred years since his birth.

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 his family still wields considerable political power.

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

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

Duterte, a friend of the Marcoses, has played a key role in bolstering their efforts to regain the top echelons of political power.

The family has hosted various events in Ilocos in recent days showcasing the rule of their patriarch, including a Catholic mass and an event to unveil a plaque at the family’s ancestral home in the city of Batac.

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

Marcos’ widow Imelda, his son Ferdinand and his daughter Imee listen to the national anthem during a wreathlaying ceremony at a monument to the late dictator in Batac yesterday.