A Filipino author made an interesting observation. She compared US President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance border policy to the events that led to the dark dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos in 1972.
Chupeco likened Trump’s use of the image of infestation to describe illegal immigrants with Marcos’ tactic to eliminate individuals likely to criticize him.
Speaking as someone born in the last years of a dictatorship, you Americans are already several steps in one.
Ferdinand Marcos' greatest trick was convincing people all protesters were communist animals, so when they went missing, few cared. Even after bodies were discovered.
— Rin Chupeco (@RinChupeco) June 26, 2018
She also related how Marcos hold his sway by telling Filipinos that he’s only “getting rid of the filth,” even as people went missing, and vocal opponents detained and protesters were silenced.
Marcos kept pushing. First it was all protesters were communists. All student protesters. Then it was the free press. Then it was the people with businesses he coveted. And then it was anyone who looked at Imelda Marcos or his daughter, Imee, wrong. Arrested, raped, murdered.
— Rin Chupeco (@RinChupeco) June 26, 2018
She lamented that Trump supporters cry out for civility when some of his officials were reportedly harassed by protesters amid the family separation crisis at the US-Mexico border.
“And every step of the way there were the same kind of fuckwits here twittering on about how people should be civil, surely Marcos wouldn’t go that far, the economy is flourishing surely it can’t be that bad. ‘It didn’t happen to me, so it must not be bad’ up till Martial Law,” Chupeco wrote.
And here's the kicker: YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT CIVIL. That's why it's the liberals you keep appealing to for decorum and politeness. You know you're not going to get most Trumpsters on board anything amounting to basic decency.
— Rin Chupeco (@RinChupeco) June 26, 2018
While Trump was not the first president to implement such policy, he upped the ante in enforcing it, resulting in more than 2,000 children detained in what some media outlets described as “cages.”
“The first requirement when approaching any discussion with civility is that both sides must come to the table with it. The side that advocates putting kids in cages and are now thinking of stripping citizenship from legal green card holders, never had that to begin with,” Chupeco said.
After major criticisms including that from Pope Francis, Trump ordered a halt on the separation of families, but he still insisted on “zero tolerance” for illegal immigrants.
Marcoses still in power
In the Philippines, the Marcos family continued to stay in power decades after the historic public demonstration that drove them out of the country after more than 20 years of martial rule.
However, they had successfully made a political comeback when Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. became congressman in the Second District of Ilocos Norte in 1992.
The senator is still making a shot for for the vice presidential post, with President Rodrigo Duterte’s apparent support, having appealed for a recount of votes for Vice President Leni Robredo. Even if Bongbong is proven not to have won the vice president, he is expected to seek for an even higher office.
Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos also disclosed she will be seeking another political position soon.
