(AsiaOne) MANILA – Philippines leader Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Tuesday (Sept 13) defended his late father’s imposition of martial law when in power, saying it was necessary because he was simultaneously fighting communist and separatist rebellions at that time.
Marcos, son of Ferdinand Marcos Sr who was overthrown in a 1986 popular uprising, said his father declared martial law not to stay in power but because the “government had to defend itself”.
“Martial law was declared because of the wars, the two wars we were fighting on two fronts,” Marcos said in his first interview since his landslide victory in a May election.
“Those were the dangers, the perils the country was facing,” Marcos said, as various groups including victims of human rights abuses, prepare to mark the 50th anniversary of the declaration of martial law on Sept 21.
His remarks are likely to bolster the concerns of critics that Marcos Jr has no intention of distancing himself from the tenure of his father and that this could pose risks to democracy in the Philippines… Read More
