Questions for Marcos Jr 40 years after Philippines People Power' revolt

"Bongbong is our principal worry. He is too carefree and lazy, then-President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Sr wrote in 1972. Marcos Sr was referring to his only son and namesake by the child's moniker, Bongbong. The boy must realise his weakness the carefree wayward ways that may have been bred in him, his father further warned in his diary."

"You will get no excuses from me, Marcos Jr said as he took his oath of office. You will not be disappointed. But three years into his term in office, Marcos Jr's popularity has withered. His political alliance with Vice President Sara Duterte has shattered, and his administration is ensnared in a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal that has plunged the country into a period of uncertainty."

"The rise of Marcos Jr to the presidency marked his family's dramatic rehabilitation after the mass street protests that forced Marcos Sr from power and the family into exile in 1986. In his inaugural speech, Marcos Jr invoked memories of his late father's presidency though he skipped the years of brutal dictatorship and reported plunder of state resources to project hope for a better future for 110 million Filipinos."

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr, was elected president in 2022 following a landslide victory, marking his family's political rehabilitation after their 1986 exile. His father had privately expressed concerns about young Bongbong's carefree nature in 1972 diaries. Marcos Jr promised unity and better governance in his inaugural speech, vowing no excuses and no disappointment. However, three years into his presidency, his popularity has significantly declined. His political alliance with Vice President Sara Duterte has collapsed, and his administration faces a multibillion-dollar corruption scandal. The nation remains deeply divided and disappointed with his lackluster performance, with opposition factions calling for his removal as the country marks the 40th anniversary of the People Power Revolution that ousted his father.

Read at www.aljazeera.com