Philippine new president Marcos sworn in

CCTV News On June 30, the new Philippine President Ferdinand Romuldez Marcos was officially sworn in at the National Museum of the Philippines on June 30, becoming the 17th President of the Philippines. On May 9 this year, the Philippines held a national election. Marcos, 64, won more than 3100 million votes and was successfully elected. The Philippine Constitution stipulates that the term of office of the president is 6 years. According to Shangguan News, this is the first time since the 1980s that a Philippine presidential candidate has swept an opponent with an absolute majority of support. It is also the shining return of the Marcos family after more than 40 years.

It is worth noting that Marcos said at the second "China-Philippines Knowing Award" award ceremony on the 10th that China is the "most powerful partner" of the Philippines and that he will work to build a "deeper and stronger" Philippines-China relationship. Marcos attended the celebration of the Philippine-China Friendship Day on the 8th and delivered a video speech, saying that he looks forward to the continuation of friendship and deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in the future. Marcos also said that the friendship between the Philippines and China has lasted for thousands of years, bringing great benefits to the two peoples. From trade, art, culture, sports, to regional peace and stability, to creating jobs for the Filipino people, and watching and helping each other during the new crown epidemic, the partnership between the two countries continues to reach new heights. "In the years to come, we will continue the friendship we have cultivated for many years, and we are full of expectations for the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China and the fruitful exchanges and cooperation between the two countries."

Why did Marcos win?

Marcos won the election not surprisingly. Since the start of the campaign, various polls have shown that Marcos' approval rate is significantly ahead of other candidates. According to Philippine media reports, as of 8:26 a.m. local time on May 10, the turnout rate in this presidential election was about 80%; after counting votes in 95.97% constituencies, Marcos won 58.82%; and his closest opponent, Vice President Robredo, got 28.03% votes. This is the strongest mandate given to presidential candidates by Philippine voters in the past few decades. He has also become the first presidential candidate to win more than 50% votes after his father Marcos.

Marcos may have run over his opponent for several reasons.

First, from the perspective of campaign thinking, his team seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, regain his father's "political legacy", arouse people's nostalgia, and the desire to revive the economy. His father, Marcos, served as the president of the Philippines for more than 20 years from the 1960s to the 1980s. His ruling style was strong and tough, leading the Philippines to become one of the economic leaders in Southeast Asia. In this election, Marcos put forward the resounding slogan of "unite and let us rise again", regained his father's "political legacy", advocated promoting the national credit plan, starting oil price subsidies, and increasing investment in medical facilities. Supporters believe that Marcos is expected to follow his father's example and lead the Philippines back to its "golden age".

Second, from the perspective of mobilization methodsIn contrast to the "carpet" knocking on doors and canvassing votes, the Marcos team is skilled in using social media tools such as "Facebook" to attract more young people's votes. In the Philippines, young groups account for more than 1/3 of the statutory electorate. Statistics show that the Philippines is one of the countries with the most active use of social media in the world. Marcos is active on social media, giving people a cordial and innovative impression, interacting intensively with netizens, frequently releasing songs and other promotional products, and the team of "fans" continues to grow.

Third, from their own strength, Marcos came from a political family, and joined forces with the vice presidential candidate Sarah Duterte to gain wider public support. More importantly, after partnering with President Duterte's daughter Sarah last year, Marcos' campaign situation has been greatly boosted and his approval rating has skyrocketed. Some commentators said that the two families made a perfect match to share their political resources and traditional ticket warehouses in the north and south, making it difficult for their opponents to resist.