Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Born	Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. 13 9, 1957
Birthplace	Manila, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Occupation	Politician, lawyer
Title	President of the Philippines
Known for	17th President of the Philippines
Education	Bachelor of Arts (Special Diploma), University of Oxford
Spouse(s)	Louise Araneta-Marcos
Children	3

Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., commonly known as Bongbong Marcos or BBM, is a Filipino politician and lawyer who has served as the 17th President of the Philippines since June 30, 2022. He is the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., who ruled the Philippines for over two decades, including a period of martial law from 1972 to 1981, and former First Lady Imelda Marcos. Born into one of the most powerful and controversial political families in Philippine history, Marcos Jr. spent decades building his own political career — first as a provincial governor and later as a senator — before winning the presidency in a landslide electoral victory in May 2022. His ascent to the nation's highest office marked a remarkable political rehabilitation for the Marcos family, which had been ousted from power during the 1986 People Power Revolution and sent into exile in Hawaii. His presidency has been characterized by efforts to strengthen diplomatic relationships, particularly with the United States and other Western nations, while navigating complex territorial disputes in the South China Sea with China. His tenure has also drawn scrutiny from human rights organizations and political opponents who have raised concerns about historical revisionism regarding the martial law era under his father's regime.

Early Life

Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. was born on September 13, 1957, in Manila, Philippines. He is the only son and second child of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. and Imelda Romualdez Marcos. He has three sisters: Maria Imelda "Imee" Marcos, Irene Marcos-Araneta, and Aimee Marcos.

Growing up as the son of a sitting president — his father assumed the presidency in 1965 — Marcos Jr. experienced a privileged upbringing within the corridors of Malacañang Palace. He was often referred to by the nickname "Bongbong," a common Filipino diminutive. As the only male heir in the Marcos family, he was widely seen as being groomed for a future in politics from a young age.

During the martial law period declared by his father in September 1972, Marcos Jr. was a teenager. He was appointed as vice governor of Ilocos Norte in 1980, at the age of 22, and subsequently became governor of the province in 1983, positions he held while his father remained in power. These early political appointments placed him in a governing role at an unusually young age and cemented his family's political dominance in their home province of Ilocos Norte in the northern Philippines.

The Marcos family's hold on power came to an abrupt end in February 1986 when the People Power Revolution — a mass civilian uprising supported by defecting military factions — forced Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from the presidency. The family fled the Philippines aboard a United States Air Force aircraft and went into exile in Honolulu, Hawaii. During the years of exile, Ferdinand Marcos Sr.'s health deteriorated, and he died on September 28, 1989, in Honolulu. The family remained in Hawaii until they were permitted to return to the Philippines in 1991 under the presidency of Corazon Aquino's successor, Fidel V. Ramos.

Education

Marcos Jr. attended school in the Philippines and abroad. He studied at the Worth School in England and later attended the University of Oxford, where he was enrolled at St. Edmund Hall. The details of his Oxford education have been a subject of considerable public debate and scrutiny throughout his political career. Marcos Jr. received a Special Diploma in Social Studies from Oxford in 1978, which is a qualification distinct from a standard undergraduate or graduate degree. During his 2022 presidential campaign and in prior political contests, questions were raised about whether Marcos Jr. had accurately represented his educational credentials, with critics alleging that he had at times claimed or implied that he held a full degree from Oxford. Marcos Jr. and his representatives have maintained that he completed studies at the institution.

He also attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, though he did not complete a degree there. The education controversies became a recurring issue in Philippine political discourse and were the subject of multiple legal challenges during his various electoral campaigns.

Career

Early Political Career in Ilocos Norte

Marcos Jr.'s political career began under the patronage of his father's regime. In 1980, he was appointed vice governor of Ilocos Norte, the Marcos family's political stronghold in the northwestern part of Luzon island. In 1983, he assumed the position of governor of Ilocos Norte, serving in that capacity until the family was overthrown in 1986.

After the Marcos family returned from exile in 1991, Marcos Jr. re-entered Philippine politics. He ran for and won a seat in the Philippine House of Representatives, representing the 2nd District of Ilocos Norte. He served as a congressman from 1992 to 1995. He subsequently ran for governor of Ilocos Norte again and won, serving as governor from 1998 to 2007. During his tenure as governor, he focused on infrastructure development and attracting investment to the province. Ilocos Norte under his governorship pursued tourism development, leveraging the province's cultural heritage and natural resources.

Philippine Senate

In 2010, Marcos Jr. was elected to the Philippine Senate, securing a seat in the national legislature for the first time. As a senator, he served on various committees and participated in legislative work on a range of issues. His time in the Senate provided him with a national political platform that extended beyond the regional base of Ilocos Norte.

During his six-year term in the Senate from 2010 to 2016, Marcos Jr. was involved in legislation relating to local government, economic development, and other policy areas. He was generally seen as maintaining a low-profile legislative approach while steadily building alliances across the political spectrum.

2016 Vice Presidential Campaign

In 2016, Marcos Jr. ran for Vice President of the Philippines, a position that is elected separately from the president in the Philippine political system. He ran alongside the presidential candidacy of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. In a closely contested race, Marcos Jr. was defeated by Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo of the Liberal Party by a margin of approximately 263,000 votes out of more than 40 million votes cast.

Marcos Jr. contested the election results, filing an electoral protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), which was composed of members of the Supreme Court. He alleged widespread electoral fraud and irregularities. The protest went through years of recounts and legal proceedings. In February 2021, the Supreme Court, sitting as the PET, unanimously dismissed Marcos Jr.'s electoral protest, affirming Robredo's victory. The court found that Marcos Jr. had failed to substantiate his claims of fraud.

The 2016 vice presidential loss and the subsequent protest became defining episodes in Marcos Jr.'s political trajectory, keeping him in the public spotlight and maintaining his political relevance in the years leading up to his presidential bid.

2022 Presidential Campaign and Election

Marcos Jr. launched his candidacy for the presidency in the May 2022 national elections. He ran under the banner of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (Federal Party of the Philippines). His running mate was Sara Duterte, the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte and the mayor of Davao City, who ran for vice president.

The Marcos-Duterte tandem represented a powerful political alliance that combined the Marcos family's strength in northern Luzon with the Duterte family's dominance in Mindanao and other parts of the Visayas. The campaign employed an extensive social media strategy, utilizing platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok to reach voters, particularly younger Filipinos. The campaign's messaging emphasized themes of national unity under the slogan "UniTeam" and projected an optimistic vision of the country's future.

Critics and political opponents raised numerous issues during the campaign, including the Marcos family's record during the martial law era, allegations of human rights abuses during the elder Marcos's rule, the family's involvement in corruption and the alleged plundering of national wealth, and questions about Marcos Jr.'s educational credentials and tax compliance record. In 1995, a Philippine court convicted Marcos Jr. of failing to file income tax returns for the years 1982 to 1985, and he was found to have tax deficiencies. These issues were raised in various disqualification petitions filed against his candidacy before the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), but the petitions were ultimately denied or dismissed, allowing his candidacy to proceed.

On May 9, 2022, Marcos Jr. won the presidential election by a commanding margin. He received approximately 31.6 million votes, or about 58.77% of the total votes cast, making it the largest margin of victory in a Philippine presidential election since the 1986 snap election. His nearest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, received approximately 14.8 million votes. Sara Duterte also won the vice presidential race by a wide margin.

The scale of Marcos Jr.'s victory surprised many political analysts and was seen as a reflection of both the effectiveness of the UniTeam campaign strategy and a broader shift in public sentiment, particularly among younger voters who had no direct memory of the martial law period.

Presidency

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was inaugurated as the 17th President of the Philippines on June 30, 2022, at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila. He took the oath of office administered by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.

Domestic Policy

Upon assuming office, Marcos Jr. initially served concurrently as Secretary of Agriculture, a move he said was intended to address rising food prices and food security concerns facing the country. He held this dual role for several months before appointing a permanent agriculture secretary.

His administration has pursued economic policies aimed at attracting foreign investment and stimulating economic growth. The Marcos administration has worked on legislative initiatives to amend economic provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to relax restrictions on foreign ownership and investment. The administration has also focused on infrastructure development, continuing and expanding upon the previous administration's "Build, Build, Build" program with its own infrastructure agenda.

On the issue of fiscal policy, the Marcos administration has dealt with the economic aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, including managing public debt levels that had risen significantly during the pandemic period. The administration has sought to balance economic stimulus measures with fiscal consolidation.

In terms of governance, the Marcos presidency has been marked by the appointment of officials from various political factions, reflecting the broad coalition that supported his election. However, his relationship with the Duterte political faction, initially a cornerstone of his coalition, has experienced significant strain. Vice President Sara Duterte publicly broke with the Marcos administration, and tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps escalated considerably, with Sara Duterte making highly publicized statements criticizing the president and his family.

Foreign Policy

Foreign policy under Marcos Jr. has been characterized by a significant recalibration compared to his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. While Duterte had pursued closer ties with China and a more distant relationship with the United States, Marcos Jr. has moved to strengthen the Philippines' alliance with the United States and expand security cooperation.

Marcos Jr. visited the United States and met with President Joe Biden, resulting in expanded defense cooperation agreements, including new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites that would give U.S. forces access to additional Philippine military bases. This deepening of the U.S.-Philippines alliance has been seen in the context of growing tensions in the South China Sea, where China's expansive territorial claims overlap with the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

The South China Sea issue has been one of the most prominent challenges of the Marcos presidency. The Philippines has experienced numerous confrontations with Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels, particularly near disputed features such as the Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin Shoal), where the Philippines maintains a small military detachment aboard the grounded BRP Sierra Madre. The Marcos administration has taken a more assertive public stance in defending Philippine territorial claims compared to the Duterte administration, pursuing what officials have described as a policy of transparency by publicly documenting and releasing information about Chinese maritime actions.

Marcos Jr. has also engaged with other regional and international partners, including Japan, Australia, and European nations, to build a broader network of security and economic partnerships. He has participated in ASEAN summits and other multilateral forums, using these platforms to raise the South China Sea issue and advocate for adherence to international law, including the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling that invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Controversies

The Marcos presidency has faced various controversies. Critics have accused the administration of engaging in or enabling historical revisionism regarding the martial law era under Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Political opponents and human rights advocates have raised concerns that the return of a Marcos to the presidency could lead to efforts to rehabilitate the reputation of the elder Marcos and diminish the historical record of human rights abuses, corruption, and the plunder of national wealth that characterized his rule.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), the agency tasked with recovering the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family, has continued its work, though questions have been raised about its independence and effectiveness under a Marcos presidency.

The administration has also faced criticism from some sectors regarding press freedom, economic inequality, and the pace of post-pandemic economic recovery. The political rift with the Duterte camp has added another layer of political turbulence to the administration.

Personal Life

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. married Maria Louise "Liza" Araneta in 1993. Liza Araneta-Marcos comes from the prominent Araneta family, one of the wealthiest and most influential families in the Philippines. The couple has three sons: Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos, Joseph Simon Marcos, and William Vincent "Vinny" Marcos.

Sandro Marcos has followed his father and grandfather into politics. He was elected as the representative of the 1st District of Ilocos Norte in the 2022 elections, continuing the Marcos family's multi-generational political presence in the province.

The Marcos family's financial assets and properties have been a subject of ongoing legal disputes and public interest. The Philippine government, through the PCGG, has pursued the recovery of assets alleged to have been acquired through corruption during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. Various court cases and settlements have resulted in the recovery of some assets, while other claims remain in litigation.

Marcos Jr. resides in Malacañang Palace in Manila in his capacity as president. Prior to his presidency, the family maintained residences in Ilocos Norte and Metro Manila.

Recognition

As president, Marcos Jr. has received various state honors in connection with official visits and diplomatic engagements. His state visit to the United States in 2023 was a notable event, during which he addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress, underscoring the strengthened alliance between the two countries.

His 2022 presidential election victory, with approximately 31.6 million votes, stands as one of the largest vote totals in Philippine electoral history. The scale of his victory was noted by election observers and political analysts as a significant political event in the context of Philippine democratic history.

Marcos Jr.'s political career has also been the subject of extensive academic study and journalistic investigation, particularly regarding the broader phenomenon of political dynasties in the Philippines, the role of social media in electoral campaigns, and the dynamics of collective memory and historical revisionism in democratic societies.

Legacy

The legacy of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is closely intertwined with the broader legacy of the Marcos political dynasty. His election to the presidency in 2022, thirty-six years after his family was ousted in the People Power Revolution, was seen by supporters as a vindication and by critics as a troubling indication of democratic backsliding and the erosion of historical memory regarding the abuses of the martial law era.

Supporters have credited Marcos Jr. with pursuing a more assertive foreign policy in defense of Philippine sovereignty in the South China Sea, strengthening alliances with democratic nations, and promoting economic development. His administration's infrastructure and economic programs have been cited as efforts to attract investment and improve the country's competitiveness.

Critics have argued that his presidency represents a failure of accountability for the human rights abuses and corruption of the Marcos era. Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have continued to call attention to the unresolved legacy of martial law, including the estimated thousands of cases of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and torture during the elder Marcos's rule. The victims of martial law and their families have expressed concern that the political rehabilitation of the Marcos family has come at the expense of justice and historical truth.

The Marcos Jr. presidency continues to be shaped by these competing narratives, and its long-term impact on Philippine democracy, governance, and the country's relationship with its authoritarian past remains a subject of ongoing debate among scholars, political analysts, and the Filipino public.