Marcos Junior, son of former Philippine dictator and President Ferdinand Marcos, is all set to win Philippines’ presidential election by a landslide in an astonishing reversal of the 1986 “People Power” pro-democracy revolt that sent the family into exile.

Marcos Jr has more than 30.5 million votes in his kitty in the unofficial results with more than 96 percent of the votes tabulated overnight after Monday’s election, The Hindu reported.

His nearest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, a campaigner of human rights and reforms, had only 14.5 million votes. The second runner-up is boxing giant Manny Pacquiao with 3.5 million votes.

Ferdinand Marcos’ regime was toppled by a democratic movement and he along with his family was forced to exile. Marcos Jr was 28 years old at the time when he fled the country with his family.

He is now a frontrunner in the presidential elections with Sara Duterte as his would-be vice president running mate, who is the daughter of the current President Rodrigo Duterte.

Who is Marcos Junior?

Marcos Junior, famous as "Bongbong" or "BBM”, is the 64-year-old son of former Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda Marcos.

In 1986, Marcos and his family were forced to leave the Philippines after a peaceful uprising of the pro-democratic “People Power” revolution. Marcos Sr had ruled with an iron fist for 20 years.

During the revolt, the ruling family was airlifted from their Malacañang Palace as protesters filled the streets and stormed the abandoned palace. The crowd discovered the extent of the family’s opulence as there were grand artworks, boxes of commemorative gold coins, jewellery, hundreds of gowns, dresses, and, infamously, about 3,000 pairs of designer shoes belonging to the former first lady.

As per reports, the family had looted billions from state funds and enforced numerous human rights abuses.

Marcos Junior’s early life

Marcos Junior grooming for a political career began much before his father’s rule came to an end. Marcos Jr attended the Oxford University in the mid-1970s and studied philosophy, politics, and economics. But he failed twice in his final exams and was later awarded a special degree in social sciences, BBC reported.

Return to Philippines

After Marcos Sr died in exile in 1989, the family was allowed to return to the country in the 1990s.

Analysts say that ever since the family was ousted, it was planning to make a comeback to the country. In a documentary called ‘The Kingmaker’, Marcos Jr’s mother Imelda Marcos described it as her son’s destiny to become the president of Philippines.

After completing university, Marcos Jr, then 23, began to re-establish his political career and became the governor in Ilocos Norte. Later, he became a congressman and a senator. After his return, he first ran for vice president in 2016, but lost to Leni Robredo who is his current challenger for president.

The family continues to face numerous court cases over corruption and their estimated plundered wealth of $10bn. Imelda is still fighting a 2018 criminal conviction case on seven corruption charges.

However, Marcos Jr. has been trying to rebuild his father's reputation for decades. His campaigns attempt to paint Marcos Sr's time in power as a golden age for the country and in a recent interview with CNN Marcos Jr said his father was a "political genius" and his mother was a "supreme politician."

Marcos Junior present life and political campaign

Marcos Jr is married to lawyer Louise Araneta-Marcos and they have three sons. The eldest son, Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III, known as Sandro, is running for the first district congressional seat of Ilocos Norte.

Marcos Jr’s political campaign has relied on nostalgia relating to his father’s rule, say analysts as per a Newsweek report. Through his campaign slogan “together we shall rise again”, he has promised unity and a return to what he has portrayed to be a former greatness. He has also promised to prioritise jobs and reduce the cost of living in the country.

(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)

First Published:May 10, 2022 11:47 AM IST