Bongbong Marcos defends father’s martial law legacy

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. defended his late father’s imposition of
martial law when in power, saying it was necessary because he was simultaneously fighting
communist and separatist rebellions at that time.
Marcos, son of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who was overthrown in a 1986 popular uprising, said his
father declared martial law not to stay in power but because the “government had to defend
itself.

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Martial law was declared because of the wars, the two wars we were fighting on two fronts,”
Marcos said in his first interview since his landslide victory in a May election.
“Those were the dangers, the perils the country was facing,” Marcos said, as various groups
including victims of human rights abuses, prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the
declaration of martial law on September 21.
His remarks are likely to bolster critics’ concerns that Marcos Jr. has no intention of distancing
himself from his father’s tenure and that this could pose risks to democracy in the Philippines.
In his televised interview, Marcos Jr. denied accusations that he and his family were distorting
history. During the campaign, critics said his presidential bid was an attempt to rewrite history
by whitewashing corruption and authoritarianism associated with his father’s 20-year rule.