What makes too many Marcoses run?
Except for Imelda who is counting years before 100, practically all Marcoses are frantically running. Why? Are they afraid or something? Is running for public office all that the Marcoses know? Why are the son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and all sorts of relatives of the Marcoses running? Has the country or their province become their family corporation? Ferdinand Marcos Sr. already ruled the country for 21 years, Imelda has been governor, minister, congresswoman, and senator. Bongbong had been a vice governor, governor, congressman, and senator. Imee Marcos too. Are all these not enough? Now their sons, daughters, and drivers are also running?
In Ilocos Norte, the son of Senator Imee Marcos and former husband Tommy Manotoc (who was also a former husband of Aurora Pijuan Manotoc), Matthew Marcos Manotoc, incumbent governor, is running for reelection. Guess who is his vice gubernatorial teammate? None other than the governor's aunt, Cecille Araneta Marcos, widow of the late Mariano Marcos II. And the son of BBM, named Ferdinand Alexander Araneta Marcos, nicknamed Sandro, is running for congressman in the 1st District, challenging incumbent Rhia Fariñas, daughter of the Bar topnotcher, Rudy Fariñas.
Not only that, Angelo Marcos Barba, the first cousin of BBM, is running for congressman in the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte. And the incumbent city mayor is another first cousin of Bongbong, Michael Marcos Keon, son of former governor Elizabeth Marcos Keon, is running for reelection as city mayor of Laoag. But Keon is running as an independent and he did not file his certificate of candidacy together with his cousins and aunt. It seems he is not on very good terms with the Marcoses, most especially Senator Imee Marcos, who used to be governor too.
The Marcos Dynasty started with Fabian Marcos, gobernadorcillo in the locality. Fabian was the father of Mariano Rubio Marcos who was the father of Ferdinand Sr. Mariano used to be a congressman representing the 2nd District. In 1935, Mariano ran for reelection. He was opposed by another fellow from Batac, by the name of Julio Nalundasan and another candidate named Medina.
Because two candidates were running from Batac, Medina won. Later Nalundasan was murdered and Ferdinand Marcos, his father Mariano Marcos, and Quirino Lizardo were accused and convicted of murder. On appeal, Justice Jose P. Laurel acquitted Ferdinand Marcos.
Marcos Sr. won three consecutive terms from 1949 to 1959 as congressman of the 2nd District. Marcos was elected senator in 1959, then became Senate president from 1963 to 1965. He ran against President Diosdado Macapagal and won. In 1969, he was challenged by Sergio Osmeña Jr., father of former senator Serge and former mayor Tomas. Marcos won, and then later proclaimed martial law in 1972, thereby prolonging his stay in power until he was ousted in 1986. To be ousted was traumatic to the Marcoses. They were in exile in Hawaii until Marcos' death.
Running for president, BBM is trying to stage a comeback and to clean up the tainted image of the Marcoses. Imelda tried to run and failed miserably. The Marcoses are running for one obvious single purpose: They want to rewrite Philippine history and make the name Marcos equal if not greater than that of Rizal. Will the Filipinos allow that to happen? I have my most serious doubts. Filipinos may be crazy and silly most of the times. But they are not stupid.
‘They want to rewrite Philippine history and make the name Marcos equal if not greater than that of Rizal.’