Factcheckers say Ferdinand Marcos Jr was overwhelming beneficiary of a flood of online disinformation before poll
Survivors of the brutal regime of the late Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos have described his son’s apparent landslide presidential election victory as the product of trickery and disinformation, warning it is unlikely the billions stolen by his family will be recovered, and that human rights in the country will be weakened.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr had won more than 30.8m votes in a highly divisive presidential election by Monday, according to an unofficial count. His vote tally is more than double that of his closest challenger, the human rights lawyer and current vice-president, Leni Robredo, who had campaigned based on transparency and good governance.
Marcos said he would bridge political divides in his country, urging people: “Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions.”
His message has not convinced survivors who were tortured, imprisoned, or whose relatives were killed, during his father’s 20-year rule. Nor is it likely to win over critics who want the family to return the vast sums it took from state coffers. As much as $10bn was plundered.
The Marcos family and its supporters have attempted to rebrand the rule of Marcos Sr as a golden era of peace and prosperity. Social media has been flooded with false claims relating to the family and its opponents, prompting media and academics to begin factchecking initiatives.
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