PHILIPPINES’ NEW PRESIDENT SWORN IN

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Junior has been sworn in as president. He is the son of the Phillippines’ later dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Marcos succeeds Rodrigo Duterte, the very popular president who got the attention of other international leaders with his deadly drug war. He has also threatened to kill suspected dealers after he handed over his presidency.

The 64-year-old won the national election last month by a landslide. This has been hailed as the biggest victory since his dad was ousted by a popular revolt back in 1986.

According to reports more than 15 000 police, soldiers and coast guard personnel have been deployed across the capital for the inauguration.

Just before the inauguration, Duterte welcomed Marcos Junior at the Malacanang presidential palace. Ironically, the Marcos family fled the palace into exile 36 years ago.

The inauguration took place only days after the country’s Supreme Court dismissed the opposition’s final attempts to have Marcos Junior dismissed from the election. The aim was to prevent him from taking office.

News24 reports that Marcos Junior took the oats at midday in a public ceremony at the National Museum in Manila in front of hundreds of local and foreign dignitaries, including Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and US Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

Image credit: France24