Ahead of Tuesday’s 39th anniversary of the Edsa People Power Revolution in the Philippines – which led to the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos Snr – calls to unseat his son, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, have been growing bolder.
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However, military insiders told This Week in Asia that they remain focused on national security and were unlikely to heed demands for intervention despite the political turmoil.
On Saturday, former president Rodrigo Duterte warned during a political rally in Cebu City that Marcos Jnr was “veering towards dictatorship” and claimed his successor intended to stay in power beyond his 2028 presidential term.
“What he’s going to do is declare martial law [just like his father],” Duterte claimed.
Although Duterte and Marcos Jnr were once political allies, they have become bitter rivals over the past year, with the former president accusing his successor of drug use, without evidence that would stand up in court, and has repeatedly called for his ouster. In November, Duterte urged the military to withdraw their support from Marcos, asking “How long will you support a drug addict of a president?”
Previous Edsa commemorations have recognised the pivotal role that the military played in Marcos Snr’s removal from office. However, this year’s commemoration saw no high-ranking attendees from the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Department of National Defence.