Marcos wants to ‘reintroduce’ the Philippines
New York – New President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ambitious plans for his country on the international stage and at home, aiming to “reintroduce the Philippines” to the world. Least managed.
And if I can get over the legacy of two people, my predecessor and my father.
He also wants to strengthen ties with both the United States and China. This is a delicate balancing act for the Southeast Asian country. Less wealthy countries counteract that effect.
Marcos appointed this springbetween himself and his predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, who alienated many international partners with his violent approach to combating drug trafficking and the coarse rhetoric he used to incite his supporters. already draws a subtle and obvious difference between
Duterte asked if he went too far in his ways lethal drug crackdownMarcos redirected the criticism to those who carried out the plan.
“His people sometimes went too far” Marcos told the Associated Press on Friday. “I’ve seen many cases where police officers and other agents are shady people who don’t know where they’re from or who they work for. But now we’re after them.”
Marcos, 65, sat in for an extensive interview in New York. of the United Nations General Assembly annual summit. Three months into his administration, he seemed energetic and enthusiastic. And he was keen to project his vision for the nation beyond its borders.
on thursday he Meeting with US President Joe Biden It’s an attempt to strengthen the sometimes complicated relationship between the two nations that has had its ups and downs since the Philippines spent 40 years as an American colony in the early 20th century.
“There were probably a few things that weren’t ideal,” Marcos said. “But ultimately, its whole trajectory was to strengthen, strengthen, strengthen our relationship.”
In addition to Duterte, Marcos also distinguish Between himself and his late father, the most iconic figure in the Philippine public sphere, with the same name as him. A hero to some and a predatory dictator to others, Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ruled from the 1960s to the 1980s, including a turbulent period of martial law and repression. He made his family’s reputation an indelible part of Philippine history.
Addressing Family Legacy Directly, my son, at least explicitly, hates it. Refused to use the word “dictator” To explain his father’s dominance, for him, his parents’ political baggage is a remnant of the past.
“I never got into political debates about the Marcos family,” he said. And people responded. ”
Engaging was just starting over, he said, and was unnecessary. “It doesn’t help. It doesn’t change anything,” he said.
Elder Marcos placed the Philippines under martial law in 1972, one year before his term expired. He padlocked Congress and newspapers, ordered the arrest of political opponents and activists, and ruled by decree. Thousands of Filipinos disappeared under his rule. Some are not explained.
As for his predecessor, Marcos has also taken a nuanced political line. Standing out from Duterte’s face-to-face rules could benefit him both at home and abroad, but Duterte’s popularity helped propel him into office, and the former president’s daughter Sarah Marcos is the vice president of
Duterte’s extrajudicial killings linked to years of crackdown sparked calls for his regime to be investigated from the outside, and he vowed not to join the International Criminal Court again — Marcos A lesson to agree on. After all, Marcos asked why a country with a working legal system should be judged by others.
“We have justice. It’s not perfect,” he said.
Marcos, like many other leaders, described the coronavirus pandemic as a balancing act between keeping people safe and allowing lives to move forward. .
“We took a very extreme position in the Philippines and ended up having the longest lockdown of any country in the world,” he said. “It was the previous administration’s choice. And now we are out of it.”
These days he has both Removed country delegation wearing a mask outdoors, Extends the state of Calamity — although he didn’t necessarily want to do it, he said that by keeping the declaration, more people could continue to get help.
“It’s not very reassuring when people look at your country and say, ‘Well, it’s in a state of disaster.’ It’s not good for tourists. It’s not good for visitors. No,” Marcos said.
encourage Relations with Chinamay be a daunting prospect, especially given Beijing’s aggressive maritime policy, for a country with such close and historical ties to the United States. say.
“It’s a very fine line to be treaded in the Philippines,” the president said. “We disagree with the old Cold War ‘sphere of influence.’
Peace comes in many flavors. Last week, Marcos marched to the south of the country to show his support for a former rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, to give up guns and support a multi-year effort to gain control of their government. Visited a predominantly Muslim region – in a predominantly Catholic country. borough effectively.
Small extremist groups, including gangsters, while the Moros became part of the government Abu Sayyaf It continues to fight the government and conduct sporadic attacks, especially in poor rural areas where law enforcement is weak. Marcos dismissed Abu Sayyaf as a group that no longer had any cause other than “robbery.”
“I don’t believe they’re a movement anymore. They’re not fighting for anything,” Marcos said. “They are just criminals.”
Marcos didn’t specify exactly why the Philippines needed to be reintroduced, despite the blow to the Philippines’ image from 2016 to 2022 under the Duterte administration.
“The real purpose of my visit here in New York was to reintroduce the Philippines to my American friends, both in the private and public sectors,” he said.
And after the pandemic is truly over, the country needs to find a fruitful path and follow it, he said.
“We have to position ourselves.
“We don’t want to go back to the pre-pandemic situation. We want to be involved and an important part of the new global economy, the new global political landscape,” Marcos said.
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Ted Anthony, director of new storytelling and newsroom innovation at AP, was the Asia Pacific news director based in Bangkok from 2014 to 2018. Follow him on Twitter. http://twitter.com/anthonyted Click here for AP coverage of UNGA. https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly
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