Marcos’ presidency proves democracy can make mistakes, says electoral coalition
MANILA, Philippines — Right before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his first State of the Nation Address (SONA), coalition Laban ng Masa underscores that his family’s return to power is “proof that democracy, while still the best system of governance, can make mistakes.”
The coalition went after Marcos Jr. for failing to participate in some of the public debates during the campaign, which is integral to a democracy in the process of electing a new leader.
“[He showed] that one of the fundamental principles of democratic rule can be subverted in a weak democracy by unprincipled forces who resort instead to manipulating historical memory and mass psychology by harnessing the dark side of information technology,” Laban ng Masa said in a statement on Monday.
During one of the debates held in March, then Laban ng Masa vice presidential candidate Walden Bello threatened to walk out after calling out the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for not imposing stricter sanctions on the Marcos-Duterte tandem.
The president won the polls after only attending the SMNI-sponsored debate, his camp previously said they preferred “direct communication with the people and engage them in a more personal face-to-face interaction.”
Marcos Jr. and his then-runningmate, Vice President Sara Duterte, did not even attend the debates organized by the Comelec.
‘Unrepentant son’
The coalition also said the president was only elected to power by leveraging their social media strategy.
“If the unrepentant son of a dictator is in power today, that is partly because billions were spent to exploit the weaknesses of our frail democracy, notably by creating via the internet a totally false image of the reign of his father and airbrushing the toxic features of the present generation of Marcoses,” Laban ng Masa said.
Earlier this year, social media platform Twitter suspended hundreds of accounts promoting Marcos Jr. for violating the social media platform’s rules on spam and manipulation.
A report by the Washington Post showed that pro-Marcos propaganda has dominated social media platforms such as TIktok and Youtube during the campaign.
Victims continue fight for justice
Marcos Jr., son of late despot and namesake, does not recognize the rights violations done during his father's regime and even casted doubt on rights group Amnesty International’s reports.
READ: Asked about Martial Law abuse, Marcos questions Amnesty International data
Amnesty International recorded over 70,000 imprisoned, more than 35,000 tortured, and over 3,000 killed under Marcos Sr.’s martial law regime.
Political prisoners and former political detainees group SELDA (Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto) said they will continue to hold Marcos Jr. and his family accountable for rights violations during the martial law regime.
SELDA Vice Chairperson Danilo de la Fuente said that they will also fight for a better reparations law.
“The Marcos family’s return to power is never a forgiveness of their sins to the Filipino people. We all know that elections in this country is won by money, bribery, intimidation, and fraud,” SELDA National Chairperson Trinidad Herrera-Repuno said in a statement.
“Undoubtedly, Marcos Jr. used their stolen money to bribe politicians, buy votes massively, and build an army of trolls to disseminate false information in favor of his family.”
FROM INTERAKSYON: Troll farm workers speak out, bare system, earnings as part of campaign ops
Marcos Jr. has also previously denied employing trolls and has claimed his online supporters are “real.”
‘Seeking accountability, justice off the table’
Karapatan, meanwhile, said that Marcos' pledge to continue the Duterte administration’s war on drugs signals that accountability and justice “are off the table for the Marcos Jr. administration’s agenda.”
The group also said attempts to stifle protests may also reflect the “worsening rights crisis” in the Philippines. The Philippine National Police previously declared Commonwealth Avenue a “no-rally zone,” despite activists historically holding protests along the avenue.
READ: Fact check: SONA rallies are protests, not conspiracy to stop Marcos Jr. address
“Justice and accountability for victims of Marcos Sr.’s martial law and Duterte’s campaigns of mass murder, therefore, can only come in the Filipino people’s continued resistance and solidarity against a rotten, illegitimate, and anti-people administration,” Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said in a separate statement.
Meanwhile, Laban ng Masa on Monday promised it will remain as one of the main voices of the opposition during the Marcos Jr. administration.
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