Destiny of a dynasty

It was an actor-turned politician Joseph Estrada who first attributed “destiny” to his becoming the President of the country. Without any political pedigree or coming from any political dynasty, Estrada first got elected as Mayor of then San Juan town. He then rose to become a Senator, then later as Vice President until he won by a landslide victory during the May, 1998 presidential election.

But as his fate had it, Estrada’s tenure as the 13th President of the country was cut short. He was ousted from Malacanang Palace following the infamous power grab in January 2001 through so-called EDSA-2.

Dubbed EDSA-2, it was a takeoff from the original EDSA People Power Revolution in February, 1986 that toppled the late president Ferdinand Marcos. After having stayed at Malacanang for nearly 20 years during which period he ruled under martial law regime, the entire Marcos family were forced to flee the country and lived in exile in Hawaii.

It was not only on Nov. 4, 1991 when the ex-president’s widow, former First Lady Imelda Marcos and her children were allowed to return to the Philippines by the late President Corazon Aquino. They came back and faced the multiple charges of tax fraud, alleged ill-gotten wealth and other corruption cases.

These cases did not stop though the Marcoses from returning to politics. Except for youngest daughter Irene who remained apolitical, the former First Lady, eldest daughter Imee and, only son Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. got all elected in various local and national government positions.

Mrs. Marcos herself first ran but lost in the May, 1992 presidential elections while son Bongbong got elected in the second congressional district in his late father’s home province Ilocos Norte from 1992-1995. She later got elected in May, 1995 as Congresswoman in the first district of her home province Leyte. Son Bongbong became Ilocos Norte Governor from 1998-2007. Mrs. Marcos subsequently ran for the second district of Ilocos Norte to take over from Bongbong who ran and won his Senate bid in the May, 2010 elections.

After Bongbong, eldest daughter Imee ran and won in their congressional district in May, 1998. Completing her three consecutive terms in Congress until 2007, Imee subsequently ran and won as Ilocos Norte Governor for three terms from 2010 to 2019. She is currently an incumbent Senator.

The young Marcos’ first formal role in a political office came with his election as Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte (1980-1983) at the age of 23. On March 23, 1983, he was installed as the Governor of Ilocos Norte until 1986, replacing his aunt, who had resigned from the post due to health reasons. He ran and won Congress for the second district of Ilocos Norte from 1992-1995 and, from 2007-2010.

From 1980 to 2009, Marcos Jr. was affiliated with his late father’s Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) along with his mother. From 2009 up until August last year, he is a card-bearing member of the Nacionalista Party (NP). He left NP a month later after he got drafted as the presidential standard-bearer by the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas for the May, 2022 presidential elections. He campaigned using his initials BBM with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte as VP under their UniTeam coalition.

His only loss in politics was running for the Vice Presidency during the May, 2016 elections that was won by former Davao City Mayor Duterte and ex-Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo in the Vice President (VP) race. He ran as independent VP candidate with the late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. Through his lawyers, Marcos filed a petition before the Presidential Election Tribunal (PET) that questioned the alleged rigging of results in favor of Mrs. Robredo.

Now that he took his oath of office yesterday, his election lawyers led then by Vic Rodriguez would have to abandon previous plans to file to the Supreme Court (SC) an appeal on the PET ruling that upheld the VP polls victory of Mrs. Robredo. Their original plan was to seek motion for reconsideration to reverse the SC upholding the PET decision.

Then presidential bet BBM told me in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay last March 17 he would follow the precedent set by the late Sen. Santiago. The feisty Senator also filed a protest case against the winning candidate ex-Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos and questioned before the PET the results of the May, 1992 presidential elections. But when she ran and won in the May, 1995 Senate elections and took oath as Senator again, the PET case she filed was rendered moot and academic.

It goes without saying the same will happen to this Marcos PET case previously handled by Rodriguez who is now his Executive Secretary.

After the traditional oath taking, PBBM motored all the way to Malacanang for the ceremonial transition into office with his immediate predecessor, now ex-president Rodrigo Duterte. Just after going through the traditional turnover ceremonies at the Palace, the 77-year old ex-President went last-minute shopping at his favorite watch store in Greenbelt, Makati. Perhaps, to bring homecoming gifts to his family in Davao City where he will spend his retirement from the public service.

Reminiscent of the past presidential inaugurations, the son of the late strongman restored the traditional grand rites again at the National Museum, highlighted by civic-military parade. Slowly coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, his inaugural ceremonies arguably went well under lenient restrictions of the current Alert Level-1.

The 64-year old freshly minted President gave special mention of his mother “the former First Lady” who were among the VIPs (very important persons) guests present with him at the makeshift stage. Incidentally, the former First Lady turns 92 years old tomorrow.

The namesake and only son of the late President capped his about 20-minute inaugural address with popular prose: “The sun also rises like it did today.”

He later swore into office yesterday his first-born son, 28-year old Sandro as Congressman of Ilocos Norte. Another destiny of a dynasty evolves.