In a ceremony held in Manila, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was sworn in as the new president of the Philippines, following Rodrigo Duterte.
His inauguration marks a remarkable return for the Marcos political family, which was overthrown in 1986 by a popular uprising.
Mr. Marcos Jr., also known as Bongbong, scored a resounding election victory last month.
Vice-presidential oaths are being administered to Sara Duterte, daughter of the outgoing president.
Mr. Marcos Jr. took his oath of office at the National Museum in a colourful event at noon local time (0400GMT).
In the company of his wife and three sons, he waved and grinned as he observed a parade that included an airborne demonstration of jet aircraft and march-pasts of various uniformed people from the Philippines.
In his inaugural address as president, he thanked the crowd for delivering “the largest electoral mandate in the history of Philippine democracy.”
The 64-year-old leader inherits a nation still on the path to recovery from an epidemic that lasted for years, as well as an economic future darkened by soaring inflation and growing debt.
Few substantive policy reforms have been discussed, according to his detractors, despite his broad promises to increase employment and combat rising costs.
Some also expect Mr. Marcos Jr. to repair the country’s image following Mr. Duterte’s administration, which has been marked by a violent war on drugs and a tightening grip on press freedom.
A few days prior to the inauguration, the Supreme Court in Manila declared that the new president’s convictions for tax evasion did not preclude him from taking office.
It also follows the Wednesday declaration by a Philippines regulator that it was standing by its decision to shut down investigative news site Rappler – one of the few critical media sources in the Philippines.
I shall provide no justifications.
During his inaugural address, Mr. Marcos Jr. paid homage to his late father, the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who controlled the Philippines with an iron grip for two decades.
Ferdinand Marcos Sr. imposed martial law and seized control of the nation’s courts, companies, and media.
Thousands of dissidents and political opponents were detained and tortured by the army and police, and many of them were murdered.
“A man I once knew observed how little had been accomplished since independence. He got it done, “Mr Marcos Jr stated. “The same holds true for his son. I will offer no explanations.”
Before asking the crowd not to look back “in wrath or nostalgia,” he reiterated pleas for “national unity,” a theme that dominated his campaign speeches.
The inauguration of Mr. Marcos Jr. represents the climax of the Marcoses’ decades-long struggle to recover their political glories.
The government of Marcos Sr. ended in 1986, when millions of people participated in a huge revolt and the Marcos family, including Bongbong, fled the nation for Hawaii.
Since his 1991 return to the Philippines, the veteran politician has endeavoured to portray his father’s presidency as a “golden age” of progress and wealth.
Mr. Marcos Jr.’s popularity was boosted by a vigorous social media campaign, which was especially appealing to people too young to have personally experienced the dictatorship.
Critics charged that his social media campaign was filled with falsehoods and whitewashed crimes committed during his father’s reign. He has refuted these claims.
Combining two political dynasties’ bases – the Marcoses in the northern Philippines and the Dutertes on the southern Mindanao island – Sara Duterte bolstered his electoral campaign.
