Dictator’s Son Marcos Jr. Takes Oath Of Office As 17th Philippine President

• Dictator’s Son Marcos Jr. Takes Oath Of Office As 17th Philippine President.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the namesake son of an ousted dictator, was on Thursday sworn in as Philippine president in one of the greatest political comebacks in recent history.

The former senator and congressman took his oath of office at the National Museum of Fine Arts in the capital Manila before Supreme Court Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, according to CNN.

His rise to power, 36 years after an army-backed “People Power” revolt booted his father to global infamy, upends politics in the Asian democracy, where a public holiday, monuments and the Philippine Constitution stand as reminders of his father’s tyrannical rule.

Activists and survivors of the martial law era under his father protested Marcos Jr.’s inauguration, which took place at a noontime ceremony at the steps of the National Museum in Manila, the capital.

Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s husband, Doug Emhoff, were among foreign dignitaries attending.

“Wow, is this really happening?” asked Bonifacio Ilagan, a 70-year-old activist who was detained and severely tortured by counterinsurgency forces during the elder Marcos’s rule, before the inauguration. “For victims of martial law like me, this is a nightmare.”

Such historical baggage and antagonism stand to hound Marcos Jr. during a six-year presidency beginning at a time of intense crises.

Last week, Marcos Jr. announced he would serve as secretary of agriculture temporarily after he takes office to prepare for possible food supply emergencies.

He also inherits decades-old Muslim and communist insurgencies, crime, gaping inequality and political divisions inflamed by his election.

On Tuesday, Marcos Jr. survived a last-ditch attempt to disqualify him when the Supreme Court unanimously ruled against two petitions seeking to cancel his candidacy for alleged tax offenses, according to CNN Philippines.

Marcos won the election with 31.6 million votes, or 58.77% of ballots cast — a margin not seen in decades — and replaces outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.

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His running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, the former President’s daughter, was sworn in as vice president on June 19, and they will serve until 2028.

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