The youth expressed their great anger in demonstrations in the Philippines, after the election of the son of the former dictator of the country Ferdinand Marcos, in elections that were held in an unprecedented climate of ideological polarization. Marc Jr. was voted in by at least 31 million voters, double the number counted in favor of Robredo by election night. Voter turnout exceeded 80%.
The misinformation that prevailed during the election period in the Philippines was mainly promoted through social media. The violence of the dictatorial regime Marcos emerged as a period of robust economic growth and technological modernization. His election rival Leni Robrento appeared as a dangerous communist who has nothing in the country. In 2016, the former president of the Philippines, Duterte, won partly thanks to the wave of fake news that spread again on social media about his political opponents. Social media users and fans of Marcos Jr. posted videos disputing allegations about the hidden assets of the Marcos family. The misinformation campaign has borne fruit with the majority of the public believing that the country must return to the golden age of dictatorship.
President Duterte has been accused of undermining the rule of law and of systematically and knowingly violating human rights during his six-year term. Political opponents of the election winners argue that the Marcos-Duterte alliance threatens to restore authoritarianism to the Philippine political scene. Marcos Jr. is expected to take office on June 30.
