What’s wrong with the Philippines?

A lot of Filipinos adore politicians and other prominent people who are loud, rude, and macho—but it’s more complicated than that. Sometimes they elect murderers and thieves; sometimes they elect apprentice saints.

'Bongbong' Marcos, pictured in June 2014, won the presidential election in the Philippines by a landslide despite having virtually no accomplishments other than being an entitled son of a former president, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

May 11, 2022

LONDON, U.K.—“Bongbong" Marcos didn’t just win the presidential election in the Philippines this week. He won it by a two-to-one landslide, despite the fact that he is the extremely entitled son of a former president who stole at least $10-billion and a mother who spent the loot partly on the ...

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