I Can Vote For Bongbong Marcos
I can vote for BBM.
There. I got your attention, but my word choice in the title is intentional. Now stay with me, BBM supporters. I am not unreasonable and biased as you perceive me to be. Since a facts-based and logical discourse doesn’t work, here’s a different approach to Marcos apologists’ argument for BBM that “he is not his father.”
Look, I can tolerate BBM running for public office if and only if (a.) his family returns the ill-gotten wealth, (b.) he acknowledges the atrocities of Ferdinand Marcos Sr’s regime and his involvement in it, and (c.) show respect and sympathy to the survivors and the families of Martial Law victims. Doing these is the closest thing to a closure we can get.
Why can’t he just do that?
Or the better question is: why is he refusing to do that?
Think hard about his active decision to refuse to do any of this even when there's a strong clamor already. This is the very reason we chose not to move on.
I’m sure you can bombard me with BBM’s credentials, and I admit that there are. But the blatant historical revisionism of martial law should be a non-negotiable factor for every Filipino — even if we’re talking about the best candidate out there. Why? This was OUR darkest period in the hands of another Filipino and a president for that matter. Thousands of Filipinos died and were tortured. Our money was stolen. The opportunity cost is a stunted potential growth for our country. The financial cost is taxpayers shouldering debt until 2025.
We see a person savoring our taxpayers’ money.
We see a person diluting thousands of Filipinos’ deaths and sufferings to a mere thing of the past.
We see a person hungry for power, proven by how his political machinery is doing everything to rewrite historical narratives in his interest.
If he can easily do these without any remorse, what’s stopping him from overdoing it? Just like what his father did.
I can vote for Bongbong Marcos…but I won't.
It’s not an ad hominem attack.
It’s not about the surname.
It’s not about the genes.
We see indicators of a possible repeat.
That’s why we shout #NeverAgain
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Andrew Beso is a Manila-based content creator who is exploring different ways of sharing art — whether it be written, spoken, and visualized. Aside from being in Medium, his work can also be seen on Youtube, Instagram, and Tiktok.
He is using his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Economics and Political Economy, respectively, in discussing social issues through creative expressions.
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