The Kingmaker (2019) dir. by Lauren Greenfield
The Marcos regime has remain to be the most controversial administration in the Philippines. Not only for the numerous allegations and charges that they face, but also for the parade of affluence and wealth of their family. As per the records of anti-corruption agencies, their family has been accused of corruption, violation of human rights, and just recently, perpetration of fake news.
Corruption is heavily evident and prevalent in the country. From the local sectors to the national government, it is known to be the root cause of poverty, crime and poor education system. During the Marcos administration, it has been reported that the amount of their so-called ‘ill-gotten wealth’ amount to billions worth of US dollars. In this documentary, they showed some of the acquired properties given to Imelda by his late husband, whom she claimed to be generous for procuring the overseas assets from his hard-earned money. He showered her with innumerable luxurious jewelries and glamorous clothing; All throughout their ruling, Imelda lived like a queen. Hence, the obscene lifestyle and wealth enabled the dictator to extend his presidency and maintain their power that ultimately led to more contentious advances.
People power eventually transpired amid chaos fueled by the assassination of Senator Ninoy Aquino; However, it should be noted that it was not the main reason why the resistance emerged. Martial law had been implemented for 8 years – the dark times in Philippine history when human rights and freedom of speech were unheard of - in response to burgeoning hostility that place their throne under threat. Some of the victims, who were mostly activists, spoke of their personal accounts of torture and sexual harassment inflicted onto them by the military/police officials. There were approximately 35,000 Filipinos who went through the same traumatizing experience for speaking out against the misconducts of the government. Opposition groups were silenced, and the media was shutdown. The only voice ever allowed to be heard was from the Conjugal leaders whose reign finally ended after the historic revolution.
Until now, the country’s perception of the Marcoses is considerably divided due to the propaganda planted to uphold the legacy of their family name. Despite the charges against them, they still cling onto their false conviction of being trustworthy and country-loving officials as the piles of papers become obsolete edifices. The agencies that are tasked to investigate their family failed to bring them to court and make them admit to their blatant wrongdoings, which is saddening on my end as it’s been ages since the bloody dictatorship took place. Nonetheless, the dark turn of events in the past in relation to the Marcoses’ political careers did not halt the desire to make Malacañang their home once again. In 2016, Bong Bong Marcos, ran for the elections to become Vice President but was greeted by a narrow defeat by Leni Robredo. Since then, he has been attempting to prove that the incumbent VP cheated the elections and thwarted his ascendancy to the position for their contrasting political parties. He had to come up with a plan to gain support from the people and resort to the most accessible propaganda machine: social media. Based on the data gathered from Cambridge Analytica, President Duterte and Bong Bong Marcos are the biggest users of trolls for spreading fake news particularly on Facebook in the Philippines.
In my opinion, the administration of Marcos has put the Philippines on the line. Never again to Martial Law. Never again to the dreary cycle of fraudulent conduct, abuse of power, and proliferation of revisionists that are bound to resurface as these unlawful acts are deeply ingrained in their name. Political dynasties ruin the foundation of governance and neglect the needs of the Filipino citizens in favor of their personal interests. Thus, the only way to elude the same fate is to hold the perpetrators accountable and never ever elect them again.
