EDITORIAL - Something Marcos must acknowledge

Yesterday saw the beginning of a new administration, that of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., 17th president of the Philippines. If some years ago someone predicted that the son of the most reviled president in Philippine history would soon ascend to Malacañang, people would have said he was crazy. But that’s exactly what happened.

However, there is no disputing the mandate that 31 million people gave him. For better or for worse the majority has spoken.

Now that he has taken the oath and started executing the Office of the President of the Philippines, we have to give him that chance and let him take the lead.

“The people have spoken and it is resounding. When my call for unity started to resonate with you, it did so because it echoed your yearnings, mirrored your sentiments, and expressed your hopes for family, for country, and for a better future,” he said during his speech.

We actually wish President Marcos and the new administration the best of luck; they certainly need since they assumed leadership at such a very bad time when you consider the still-ongoing pandemic and various global upheavals.

However, just let us point out that if President Marcos is serious in his ongoing call for unity, at a certain point in his presidency he will have to confront the murderous deeds done in his family’s name.

This is something that has to be done. President Marcos cannot just pretend that those painful wounds don’t exist. Or that those who were jailed, kidnapped in the middle of the night or snatched from the street never to be seen again, or had their property seized don’t matter.

The Marcos name carries a lot of emotional baggage with it, thanks to the things President Marcos’ father or those acting in his name did.

Yes, it is true that the sins of the father are not necessarily the sins of the son. However, if President Marcos truly wants healing and unity, he must start by acknowledging the sins of his father.