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A30 world news
Diasabra 7 Mei 2022

Marcos redux? Dictator’s son may win Philippine presidency

past, let’s stop fighting about Andrea Chloe Wong, a po- after Marcos died in 1989 in
what those martial law years litical scientist. “They want exile in Hawaii.
really looked like, and let’s to visit the golden age of
look forward, let’s move for- the Philippines — and that’s Imelda Marcos — whose
ward.” what Marcos is propagating.” expansive collection of jew-
With the median age in the elry and 1,220 pairs of shoes
Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was Philippines of about 25, shocked the world after
ousted in 1986 as millions of Marcos has taken advantage they were discovered in the
people took to the streets in of the fact that many voters presidential palace that was
the largely peaceful “People have no personal memory of stormed in the uprising —
Power” uprising to force a his father’s rule. He’s avoid- ran for president herself in
return to democracy. ed confrontation by refusing 1992 and 1998, losing both
head-to-head debates, hand- times.
Some of the assets obtained selecting the journalists for
by Marcos, wife Imelda and the sole press conference he The 92-year-old, who still
their cronies were later seized has held since his campaign lives in Manila, had faced
(AP) — Ferdinand Marcos washes the past and is short and sold, with the money re- started, and has limited the some 900 civil and criminal
Jr. and Sara Duterte smile on specifics about their vision mitted to the Philippine gov- number of interviews he has cases after her return — from
and chat of their love of for the future, but it appears ernment. The Presidential given. embezzlement and corrup-
burgers and mango shakes to be resonating with the av- Commission on Good Gov- tion to tax evasion. Most
on the election trail in a erage Filipino, with the lat- ernment, created to recover In one of those — with were dismissed for lack of
carefree YouTube video est polls showing both with ill-gotten gains, says it has so CNN Philippines a week evidence, and the few convic-
before breaking into a seemingly insurmountable far collected more than $3.3 ago — Marcos defended his tions were overturned on ap-
short rap penned for their leads in their races, which are billion. family’s opulent lifestyle, peal. A 2018 graft conviction
campaign for president held separately, in Monday’s saying his parents always re- remains on appeal.
and vice president of the elections. But rather than apologize for minded him that “any com-
Philippines by a popular his father’s excesses, Marcos fort or privilege that we enjoy Marcos Jr. has held several
singer. The campaign has made deft Jr., who goes by his child- comes from the people, and political offices, including
use of social media, primarily hood nickname “Bongbong” that’s why we have to serve.” being elected to the House of
Marcos Jr., the son of the TikTok and YouTube, to push or “BBM” in campaign post- He brushed aside criticism Representatives in 1991 and
late dictator who bilked the the simple slogan of “unity” ers, embraces his image. The of martial law, saying “there the Senate in 2010, despite
country out of billions and — “Uniteam” as they put it 64-year-old portrays his fa- were people who wanted to ongoing legal issues.
ruled for years with an iron — and frame them as beyond ther’s decades in office as a bring down the government
fist, and Duterte, daughter politics and disagreements, time of prosperity and na- and the government had to He has been dogged by a past
of outgoing populist Presi- said Adele Webb, a lecturer at tional pride, glossing over the defend itself.” conviction for failure to file
dent Rodrigo Duterte, whose the Queensland University corruption and years of mar- his income tax papers and
brutal anti-drug campaign of Technology and author tial law with a harsh crack- “This is actually true, that a government demand for
has brought an investigation of ”Chasing Freedom: The down on dissent that scarred was what really happened,” a huge estate tax payment,
of crimes against humanity Philippines’ Long Journey to generations of Filipinos. he said emphatically. which opponents unsuccess-
by the International Crimi- Democratic Ambivalence.” fully tried to use to disqual-
nal Court, like to keep things “He’s just projecting a youth- The rehabilitation of the ify his bid for the presidency.
light. “His message really is very ful version of his father, be- Marcos name started decades The petitions against his
well crafted with this avoid- cause he’s really banking on ago, with the family return- candidacy remain on appeal
Their carefully choreo- ance strategy,” Webb said. the Filipinos’ ... nostalgic ing to the Philippines — and and could reach the Supreme
graphed campaign white- “Let’s stop talking about the craving of Marcos rule,” said politics — only a few years Court.

Sri Lanka leader declares emergency amid protests

(AP) — Sri Lanka’s president de- responsible for the economic crisis. family to quit.
clared a state of emergency Fri- Protesters are angry that the lawmak- Rajapaksa’s announcement comes as
day giving him broad authority ers have elected a government-backed protesters occupy the entrance to the Similar protests have spread to oth-
amid widespread public protests deputy speaker of Parliament with a president’s office for a 28th day, de- er locations, with people setting up
demanding his resignation over big majority when the protesters say manding Rajapaksa, his brother and camps opposite the prime minister’s
the country’s worst economic cri- they should be voting Rajapaksa’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa residence and other towns across the
sis in recent memory. government out of power. and the rest of the powerful ruling country.

The decree issued by President Go- At first police fired tear gas at a stu-
tabaya Rajapaksa invokes sections of dent-led protest that began Thursday
the Public Security Ordinance that after the election of the deputy speak-
allow him to make regulations in the er in what was seen a key victory for
interests of public security, the pres- the governing coalition, which was
ervation of public order, the suppres- seeing defections and uncertain of a
sion of mutiny, riot or civil commo- clear majority in Parliament.
tion, or for the maintenance of essen-
tial supplies. Separately, police dispersed more
protesters with tear gas Friday night
Under the emergency regulations, also around Parliament.
Rajapaksa can authorize detentions,
take possession of any property and Sri Lanka is near bankruptcy having
search any premises. He can also announced it is suspending repay-
change or suspend any law. ment of its foreign loans and its us-
able foreign currency reserves plum-
Police used tear gas and a water can- meting below $50 million. It has $7
non twice Friday at protesters near billion foreign loan repayments this
the Parliament criticizing lawmak- year out of $ 25 billion to be repaid
ers for not ousting the president and by 2026. Its total foreign debt is $ 51
his government, whom they say are billion.