Marcos Becomes President in the Philippines

MANILA — Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the previous dictator, was sworn in Thursday because the seventeenth president of the Philippines, praising his father’s legacy and pledging to confront an array of challenges as Rodrigo Duterte, the outgoing president, concluded a six-year time period.

In a ceremony that capped a exceptional comeback for a household as soon as compelled into exile, Mr. Marcos, 64, offered himself as a frontrunner who would assist the Philippines enhance its financial system and safe a extra affluent future.

“You’ll not be upset, so don’t be afraid,” Mr. Marcos mentioned, talking to hundreds of supporters — together with his 92-year-old mom, Imelda Marcos — on the Nationwide Museum of High quality Arts in Manila.

His victory has stoked considerations that one other Marcos administration might return the nation to its autocratic previous. Not solely did Mr. Marcos clinch the strongest majority vote in additional than 30 years, however his allies additionally now management a lot of the Home and the Senate.

His operating mate, Sara Duterte, the daughter of Mr. Duterte, received the vice presidency with an excellent bigger share of the vote. The president and vp are elected individually within the Philippines. Ms. Duterte was inaugurated earlier this month.

In his inauguration speech, Mr. Marcos mentioned his father’s administration constructed roads, produced rice and “by no means did not defeat overseas makes an attempt to interrupt up our nation.”

The scene surrounding Mr. Marcos’s inauguration on Thursday provided a vivid reminder of the challenges he faces in therapeutic a rustic nonetheless scarred by the reminiscences of martial legislation underneath his father.

Hundreds of safety forces stood guard as protesters gathered at a spot known as “Freedom Park,” about half a mile from the nationwide museum. To lots of the protesters, the Marcos identify was a byword for extra, corruption and greed.

“The Marcos household ought to be made to pay for his or her sins and jailed, not celebrated,” mentioned Marites Karganila, 53, a road vendor from a township south of Manila. Two of her cousins have been jailed throughout the martial legislation years.

Opponents say Mr. Marcos has already demonstrated anti-democratic tendencies, pointing to how he has largely shunned the information media and broke with norms by refusing to take part in a lot of the presidential debates.

“I didn’t discuss a lot on this marketing campaign; I didn’t hassle to consider rebutting my rivals,” Mr. Marcos mentioned throughout his inauguration speech. As a substitute, he mentioned he hung out looking out “for promising approaches higher than the standard options.”

Mr. Marcos, who goes by his childhood nickname, Bongbong, assumed the presidency because the nation is making an attempt to get better from the pandemic whereas managing rising inflation and mounting debt. He additionally inherited from Mr. Duterte a legacy of a drug warfare that has killed tens of hundreds of individuals and prompted an investigation by the Worldwide Prison Courtroom.

The brand new president, who has beforehand indicated that he wouldn’t assist the I.C.C. with its investigation into Mr. Duterte, signaled in his speech that he would reject all overseas interference in home politics. “We will belief nobody else in the case of what’s greatest for us,” he mentioned.

He pledged to enhance the financial system and to provide you with an complete infrastructure plan. Traders, nonetheless, have demonstrated little religion in his financial potential. Mr. Marcos positioned close to the underside of a Bloomberg ballot that requested traders and analysts who they thought could be the perfect candidate to guide the financial system.

Whereas a number of of his cupboard positions are but to be stuffed, this month Mr. Marcos introduced that he would tackle the position of agriculture minister, an uncommon transfer that may give him direct management over meals costs, which have been rising. Protection, overseas affairs and well being ministry positions stay vacant.

In his speech, Mr. Marcos additionally appealed to the a couple of million Filipinos who left the nation to search out work overseas — as nannies, dwelling well being aides and seamen. These employees characterize solely about 2 p.c of the inhabitants, however they’ve emerged as an vital voting bloc.

“We’re condemning the way forward for our race to menial occupations overseas,” Mr. Marcos mentioned. He paid particular tribute to nurses working abroad, recognizing that “they’re on the market as a result of we can not pay them for a similar danger and workload that now we have again right here.”

Thursday’s inauguration got here after a polarizing election. Leni Robredo, the nation’s outgoing vp, was Mr. Marcos’s primary rival. Tens of hundreds of her supporters campaigned door to door in an enormous grass-roots motion decided to forestall a second Marcos presidency. However she positioned a far second to Mr. Marcos.

Emerson Briones, an Orthodox archbishop, mentioned he didn’t perceive why individuals have been protesting towards the brand new president. He and dozens of Mr. Marcos’s followers celebrated the inauguration in entrance of the previous Senate constructing. “I imagine, as do all of us, that he would be the greatest president ever,” Archbishop Briones mentioned. “We’re in for an thrilling experience.”

“It was a good election,” he added. “The sins of his father, no matter they’re, are usually not his.”

Jason Gutierrez reported from Manila and Sui-Lee Wee from Singapore. Camille Elemia contributed reporting from Manila.