A New Marcos Heading the Philippines Should Not be Dismissed Just Because of His Family Name

Today, the Philippines ushered in a new political age as the country elected a new president with a controversial background. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his famously shoes-loving wife Imelda, was elected in a landslide victory, with analysts predicting the continuation of the outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte's attempt to create more balance in the country's foreign policy between the US and China. Indeed, Rodrigo's daughter Sara was elected as the vice president in a transparent partnership with Bongbong all but ensuring policy consistency under the new administration. 

Understandably, many foreign observers are anxious about a new Marcos administration. Bongbong's father was also elected through a fair democratic contest at the polls, only to lurch toward authoritarianism as popular support for his rule waned and he was forced to rely on the declaration of martial law to stay in power. As much as his son sought to publicly assure of preserving democracy, the fact that he is a scion of an enduring political dynasty in the Northern region of Ilocos gives observers pause as to how much he can realistically deviate from his father's legacy.

During my own visit to the Marcos Mansion, the now-sanitized family home of the political family, I saw just how much the family continues to appeal to the local population and voters throughout the country. There is no denying that the elder Marcos eventually earned the ire of the general public, being overthrown in the popular protests of the "people's power movement." But this is not before he left concrete achievements for the country, in the form of infrastructural development, economic stability for some time, and a lasting belief that strongman rule can benefit the common people.

Indeed, the trust in strongman rule is the reason that Duterte, the tough-talking, law-disrespecting mayor of Davao, was suddenly propelled to the national stage after decades of his family ruling over the deep south and acquiring a reputation for getting things done without the care for due process. Bongbong and Sara, as the natural successor of the current Duterte administration, has earned the liking of the country's burgeoning youth population, who are more concerned about jobs and development, rather than the wrongdoings of Marcos senior that occurred before they were even born.

And it goes without saying that the world that the Phillippines face today is dramatically different from that during the reign of Marcos senior, to the point that it begs the question of whether the deeds of the father are even relevant to the son. Authoritarianism suited Marcos senior as he offered a stable bulwark against nearby communist Vietnam and China in the heady days of the Cold War. But today, as China becomes the major economic partner for the Philippines, Marcos junior will need brand-new trade-offs inconceivable to his father.

At least Bongbong can benefit from his father's image as an economic developer, albeit an inconsistent one. As the country's population continues to grow while it falls behind the likes of Vietnam in growth and attracting foreign investment, the new government has its work cut out to ensure that it muster every resource and strategy available to improve people's livelihoods. Infrastructural development, like that pushed by Marcos senior, will be needed once again, along with policies to revive other pillars of the pre-COVID economy, including tourism, remittances, and the BPO sector.

Hence, for observers to think of Bongbong only in the context of his father may be anachronistic, to say the least. As he has implied so many times, he should be given a chance to prove his own mettle, not as a function of his famous family, but as a political thinker and policymaker. As COVID continues to wreak havoc on the Philippine economy, those pessimistic about the Marcoses' authoritarian tendencies should set their skepticism aside and support whatever measures Bongbong, Sara, and their team can provide to set the local economy back on track.

Of course, there should be plenty of monitoring of the health of Philippine democracy, but more important agendas should be prioritized. There is no doubt that Duterte, in his drug war filled with murder, damaged the credibility of law enforcement, and thought to muzzle media outlets critical of his policy. But the fact that he, as expected under the law, stepped aside after one presidential term, shows that the democratic system, in principle, remains functional. Bongbong should be given the benefit of doubt in keeping the same system alive and functioning.