MANILA, Philippines – Ferdinand Marcos should stop being blamed for the Philippines’ woes, the late dictator’s son said Friday as he criticised subsequent leaders for doing little to improve the lives of Filipinos.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a senator with presidential aspirations, let rip on his Facebook page as President Benigno Aquino III prepared to lead a rally Saturday to mark a bloodless “people power” uprising that toppled Marcos Sr. in 1986.
“China, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia can all point to the progress they have made these last 26 years but unfortunately, for the majority of our people, nothing much has changed today,” Marcos said.
“Blaming past administrations will not bring food to the plates of the hungry. Excuses cannot substitute for performance and results.”
Marcos acknowledged he was unable to pass impartial judgment on the uprising that ended his father’s 20-year rule and forced his family into US exile, but said his political foes also promoted only their version of history.
“Most of what we hear now from all sides are still within the ambit of propaganda. But I certainly am concerned with the state of our country today,” he said.
Aquino’s mother, Corazon, famously led the “people power” uprising after reluctantly taking the pro-democracy leadership baton from her husband when he was murdered at Manila’s airport in 1984.
She served as president for six years, between 1986 and 1992, and earned a reputation as a leader with strong personal integrity.
Aquino scored a landslide victory in the 2010 presidential elections when he capitalized on the immense public support for his late mother, and vowed to continue her agenda of fighting corruption.
The incumbent blames a culture of corruption in past administrations for widespread poverty in the Philippines.
But while Aquino enjoys widespread support because of his parents, so too does Marcos.
He easily won a senate seat in the 2010 elections and has said publicly he may seek to emulate his father and lead the Philippines.
His sister, Imee, was also elected governor of Ilocos Norte province, the family’s political stronghold, while their famous mother, Imelda, won a seat in the lower house of parliament at the age of 80.