Ferdinand Marcos Jr Sworn In As Philippines President, Praises Dictator Father During Inauguration
Ferdinand Marcos Jr( nicknamed Bong Bong) has been sworn in as the new president of Philippines.
This comes after he won the election landslide last month.
According to reports, Marcos Jr, 64, took his oath of office at midday local time (0400GMT) on Thursday, June 30 in a colourful ceremony at the National Museum.
It was also gathered that Outgoing president, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte is also being sworn in as vice-president.
During his inauguration, Marcos who was flanked by his wife and three sons waved and smiled while observing a parade that featured an aerial display of jet fighters and march-pasts of Philippines military.
While giving his first speech as president, Bong Bong thanked the crowd for delivering what he described as “the biggest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy.”
The new president also paid tribute to his late father, dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for two decades with an iron fist.
When his father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr was a president, he established an authoritarian regime in the Philippines that came under criticism for corruption and for its suppression of democratic processes.
The deceased took control of the country’s courts, businesses and media while the army and police arrested and tortured thousands of dissidents and murdered political opponents.
However, his rule ended in 1986, when a mass uprising saw millions of people take to the streets, Out of fear, the Marcos family, Bongbong who was 28-year-old at that time, fled the country for Hawaii.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr later returned to the Philippines in 1991 and has since sought to paint his father’s presidency in a good light.
“I once knew a man who saw how little had been achieved since independence. He got it done. So will it be with his son. You will get no excuses from me.” Ferdinand Marcos Jr said while addressing the citizens.
The new president repeated calls for national unity, urging the crowd not to look back “in anger or nostalgia.”
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