President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday, September 11, led the commemoration of his father, the late president and dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., in their hometown of Batac, Ilocos Norte.
In his speech, Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to remember what he described as the sacrifices, service, and nationalism of his father during his lifetime.
“It is a legacy of service. It is a legacy of sacrifice,” Marcos Jr. declared.
He added, “If you are going to be a good Filipino, then you must be willing to sacrifice everything, including your life, for the Filipino, for the Philippines.”
As part of the commemoration, the younger Marcos also unveiled a monument in Batac in honor of his father’s 108th birth anniversary.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr. first assumed the presidency in 1965 and remained in power for 21 years until he was ousted during the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.
His administration is remembered for major infrastructure projects, but more prominently for declaring Martial Law—an era that dismantled democracy, jailed critics, and was marred by widespread human rights abuses.
Marcos Sr. is also notorious for plundering billions from the national coffers, wealth that successive administrations have continued to recover for nearly four decades.