By electing another Marcos, Filipinos show they have forgotten history

The first republic of the Philippines, established after the Americans booted out the Spanish, lasted just over two years. The second, under Japanese rule during the second world war, did not even make it that long. The third was created at the country’s independence from the United States in 1946 and survived until 1973, by when Ferdinand Marcos, the president, had declared martial law. A fourth one came into being when martial law was lifted in 1981 and collapsed with the peaceful revolution that forced Marcos and his family to flee in 1986. Thus began the Fifth Republic. At noon local time on June 30th, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos junior became its seventh president.