Son of former Philippines leader Marcos to run for president
The son and namesake of the Philippines' former leader Ferdinand Marcos said on Tuesday (Oct 5) he will run for president in the 2022 election, as the controversial clan seeks the ultimate political revival. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr - who has defended President Rodrigo Duterte's controversial drug war and supported the death penalty for traffickers - declared his candidacy in a video broadcast on Facebook. "
I will bring... unifying leadership back to our country," the 64-year-old scion said, joining a growing field of contenders seeking to replace Duterte. "Let us bring Filipinos back to one another in service of our country, facing the crisis.and the challenges of the future together." A tilt for the country's highest office comes after Marcos Jr's failed bid for the vice presidency in 2016. which he narrowly lost to Leni Robredo.
Losing the election was a blow for the Marcos family, which had gone into exile in the United States after the patriarch's humiliating downfall in 1986.He and his wife Imelda were accused of massive corruption while in power.Marcos Jr was in second place behind Duterte's daughter, Sara, in a recent PulseAsia Research survey of voter preference for president, though she has denied plans to run.Boxing great Manny Pacquiao and celebrity mayor Francisco Domagoso have confirmed they will seek the top job.
If Marcos Jr's presidential bid succeeds, it would cap a remarkable political comeback since a popular uprising toppled his father and chased the family into exile in the United States.After they were allowed to return to the Philippines, members of the family have held a number of prominent political posts.Marcos Jr served as a senator from 2010 to 2016, and his mother Imelda has said she dreams of him becoming the country's leader.
