JAKARTA - Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was officially sworn in as President of the Philippines, Thursday morning local time, 36 years or more than three decades after his father Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown by the people.
Marcos Jr scored a rare landslide victory in last month's election, helped by what his critics saw as a decades-long effort to change public perceptions of a family living extravagantly at the helm, one of the world's most notorious kleptocracies.
In a speech that echoed his campaign slogan of unity, Marcos Jr. better known as Bongbong, vowed to make the country more willing, with policies that benefit everyone. He also thanked the public, for delivering what he called "the largest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy".
"You won't be disappointed, so fear not," he said at his inauguration ceremony, surrounded by close family and relatives, including mother Imelda, 92, a former four-term congressman.
Marcos Jr also praised his late father's reign, but said his presidency was not about the past, but a better future.
"I once knew a man who saw little that had been achieved since independence. But he did it sometimes with the support needed, sometimes without the support," he said.
"Neither did his son. You won't get excuses from me. Don't look back in anger or nostalgia," continued Marcos Jr.
His father Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines from 1965 for two decades, almost half of it under martial law, helping him expand his grip on power until his overthrow, which saw his family retreat into exile during the 1986 "people power" revolution.
Thousands of Marcos opponents were imprisoned, killed or disappeared during his reign, and the family name became synonymous with cronyism, extravagance and the loss of billions of dollars from the state coffers. In this regard, the Marcos family has rejected the embezzlement charge.
Hundreds of activists are expected to protest Marcos Jr's inauguration, angered by a campaign backed by a strong support network and social media influencers, determined to debunk the historical narrative of the Marcos era.
The former senator and congressman campaigned with the slogan "together, we will rise again", evoking nostalgia for his father's rule, which his family and supporters describe as a golden age for the Philippines, a former US colony.
It is known that voters are counting on him to fulfill promises to create jobs and lower consumer prices in a country of 110 million people, of whom nearly a quarter live on less than $2 a day.
In an evocative 30-minute speech, Marcos Jr. promising education reforms, improving food security, infrastructure, waste management and energy supply, and providing full support for millions of Filipino workers overseas.
"I fully understand the weight of the responsibility you place on my shoulders. I don't take it lightly but I am up for the task," he said.
"I'll work it out," he concluded.
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