Son of ousted Philippine dictator to seek presidency

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos has announced he would seek the presidency in next year’s elections in what activists say is an attempt to whitewash a dark period in the country’s history marked by human rights atrocities. Former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. announced his intention in a brief Facebook video. He promised to foster national unity to address the coronavirus pandemic. The elder Marcos was ousted in a 1986 army-backed uprising and died in exile in Hawaii three years later without admitting any wrongdoing. Loretta Ann Rosales, a former chairwoman of the Commission on Human Rights and a political detainee who was tortured during the Marcos era, said his presidential bid seeks to institutionalize his father’s legacy.