MANILA (HRNW) – The son of the Philippines’ late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was sworn in as president Thursday, completing a decades-long effort to restore the clan to the country’s highest office.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, 64, won last month’s elections by a landslide, securing the biggest victory since his father was ousted by a popular revolt in 1986.
He succeeds the hugely popular Rodrigo Duterte, who gained international infamy for his deadly drug war and has threatened to kill suspected dealers after he leaves office.
Marcos Jr took the oath at midday (0400 GMT) in a public ceremony at the National Museum in Manila in front of hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries, including Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and US Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.
More than 15,000 police, soldiers and coast guard personnel have been deployed across the capital for the inauguration.
Ahead of the swearing-in, Duterte received Marcos Jr at the Malacanang presidential palace — which the Marcos family fled into exile 36 years ago.
Duterte, 77, wore a mask and his traditional formal shirt, characteristically unbuttoned at the top and with sleeves rolled up, for the meeting with Marcos Jr, who he once described as “weak”.
The ceremony comes days after the Supreme Court dismissed final attempts to have Marcos Jr disqualified from the election and prevent him taking office.
As rising prices squeeze an economy already ravaged by Covid-19, Marcos Jr has made tackling inflation, boosting growth and ramping up food production his priorities.
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