President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. disagrees with critics who call his father a “dictator.”

The late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law on September 21, 1972, the start of his 20-year old dictatorship marked by massive corruption and human rights violations. The dictator, his family including his son, the current sitting President, and cronies, fled the country during the February 1986 People Power Revolution.

Elected as the Philippines’ 17th President in the May 2022 elections, Marcos Jr. said his fatherwas not a dictator.

In an interinterview, Marcos Jr said that his father always consult with various private and civil society groups.

“I know that everything he did, he did with consultation with whoever. No matter what the system of government was. That’s why for me you can say what you want, that’s your opinion. You’re wrong,” he said lashing at critics who call his father a dictator.

Marcos Jr. also said that he is not bothered by being referred to as a dictator’s son.

“It would hurt me if they were right, but they’re wrong,” Marcos Jr. said.

MY FATHER WAS NOT A DICTATOR

Funds for martial law museum still available

There are still available funds for the planned memorial for victims of human rights violations during the martial law regime, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Thursday.

The DBM’s clarification came on the same day when an official of the Human Rights Violations Victims Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) told lawmakers during the House budget deliberations on the Commission on Human Rights that there is the proposed 2023 national budget has no special provision for the construction of a memorial for martial law victims.

HRVVMC executive director Carmelo Crisanto said the project may become a “white elephant” because there are no funds allotted for it in 2023.

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