Ferdinand Marcos Jr sworn in as Philippines president, replacing Duterte
Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been sworn in as the Philippine president in a ceremony in Manila, succeeding the outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte.
His inauguration marks a stunning comeback for the Marcos political dynasty, which was ousted after a popular revolt in 1986.
Mr Marcos Jr – nicknamed Bongbong – won an election landslide last month.
Sara Duterte, the daughter of the outgoing president, is being sworn in as vice-president.
Mr Marcos Jr took his oath of office at midday local time (0400GMT) in a colorful ceremony at the National Museum.
Flanked by his wife and three sons, he waved and smiled while observing a parade that featured an aerial display of jet fighters and march pasts of the Philippine’s various uniformed personnel.
In his first speech as president, he thanked the crowd for delivering what he described as “the biggest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy.”
The 64-year-old leader is inheriting a country still on the road to recovery from a years-long pandemic, and an economic outlook clouded by skyrocketing inflation and rising debt.
Critics say his sweeping promises to boost jobs and tackle rising prices have seen little discussion on actual policy reform.
Some are also looking to Mr Marcos Jr to rehabilitate the country’s image in the wake of Mr Duterte’s term, which has been characterized by a bloody war on drugs policy and a tightening grip on press freedom.
The inauguration comes just a few days after the Supreme Court in Manila ruled that convictions for tax evasion did not disqualify the new president from taking office.
It also follows the announcement on Wednesday from a Philippines regulator that it was standing by its decision to shut down investigative news site Rappler – one of the few media outlets in the Philippines that is critical of the previous government.
SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES