40 years after dictatorship, Philippines struggles with entrenched political dynasties

MANILA – Activist Teddy Casino was just 17 when nearly two million Filipinos poured onto Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), the main highway cutting through Metro Manila, in a series of demonstrations that led to the

ousting of

dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr in 1986

.

But Mr Casino’s journey of political consciousness, which would shape his life, began three years earlier. This awakening was stirred by the assassination of former opposition senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr, one of Marcos Sr’s fiercest critics, on the tarmac at Manila’s airport.

Marcos Sr’s 20-year rule – including nine years under martial law from 1972 to 1981 – was marred by widespread corruption and media censorship, as well as the killings, torture and disappearances of government critics.

Mr Casino said his father took him to mass protests held in the capital following Mr Aquino’s death – an experience that drew him and many Filipinos to join protest movements. These demonstrations ultimately led to the peaceful revolution later dubbed “EDSA People Power”.

“Those were my formative years. It piqued my curiosity about the people I saw on the streets then who were fighting for something bigger than themselves,” he told The Straits Times.

Four decades on, Mr Casino – once a lawmaker and now a leading figure in the Philippines’ progressive opposition – said that now that he is mentoring the next generation of student activists, he has come full circle.

“I’m happy that many young kids are still interested (in what happened under martial law) despite all the distractions and misinformation,” he said.

He added, however, that the EDSA People Power anniversary on Feb 25 should not merely evoke nostalgia.

“There is this tendency to look at the EDSA (anniversary) and just relive the euphoria of those days when we ousted a dictator,” he said. “But the reason why we have problems (like corruption and poverty) today can be traced to the failures of the succeeding administrations at sustaining the spirit of People Power.”

Marking the fall of Marcos Sr under his son’s presidency

Mr Casino’s remarks capture the paradox facing Filipinos as they

mark the revolution’s 40th anniversary

. The peaceful uprising that toppled a dictatorship is now commemorated under the presidency of Marcos Sr’s son, at a time when dynastic politics is more entrenched than ever.

Currently, the Philippines’ two most powerful officials – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and Vice-President Sara Duterte – are scions of two of the country’s most influential political families.

Even if some Filipinos may have become disenchanted after 40 years, historian Xiao Chua from De La Salle University in Manila said the revolution itself should not be seen as a failure.

He said the democratic transition that followed produced a new Constitution, restored civil liberties and reopened political freedom. But over the last four decades, certain leaders who invoked the spirit of the revolution later disappointed voters, either by implementing controversial policies or failing to address persistent inequality.

“The narrative of People Power was used by the political elites to their advantage. These forces failed the people and tarnished the achievements of the revolution,” Professor Chua said.

The 1987 Constitution, for example, sought to curb political dynasties by prohibiting members of the same family from holding office simultaneously. Yet, the absence of an enabling law has allowed influential clans to retain their dominance decades after a revolution partly defined by resistance to entrenched power.

This is because lawmakers, many of whom come from dynasties themselves, have not prioritised the passage of the Bill over the years.

Those tensions were visible during anniversary protests on Feb 25, where calls to defend democratic institutions converged with anger over a widening

flood-control corruption scandal

that has implicated lawmakers, contractors and local officials.

Thousands of protesters came to EDSA, among them Gen Z and millennials who were not yet born in 1986. The young activists chanted: “Lapdogs, fascists – Marcos, Duterte are one and the same!”

Philosophy student Clarence Lindo, 21, from the University of Santo Tomas, said the Filipino youth have much to be angry about.“There are some from the older generation questioning why the youth are here when we didn’t even experience martial law,” he said.

“But the same scenarios during the dictatorship – corruption, state violence, nepotism in government, capitalism – are still happening today and have not been addressed even after People Power.”

Political scientist Kiko Aquino Dee from the University of the Philippines Diliman – a grandson of democracy icons Ninoy and Corazon Aquino, who succeeded Marcos Sr as president after the uprising – described the People Power anniversary as a moment of civic reckoning.

He is also among the leading figures in liberal opposition groups denouncing the alleged corruption in Mr Marcos Jr’s government.

“One of the big themes is self-reflection. If in February 1986 we restored democracy in the country, that means that power in this country was brought back to the people,” Mr Dee said.

“And what that means is the responsibility for what happens in this country after, whether good or bad, is in (the hands of) the people, too.”

Yet, the protests have also exposed divisions within the opposition.

Liberals largely call for accountability and institutional reforms, while some progressive groups push more radical demands, including calls for a revolutionary government and the impeachment of both Mr Marcos and Ms Duterte.

Mr Casino described the divide bluntly, saying: “One side is angry because they don’t like a corrupt government. The other side is angry because they’re hungry.”

Finding a common enemy

The anniversary also unfolds amid speculation that liberal forces are recalibrating following the announcement of

Ms Duterte’s 2028 presidential bid

, with some observers perceiving a more pragmatic posture towards Mr Marcos to block her ascent to the palace.

Some say Mr Marcos could be seen as a “lesser evil” compared with his erstwhile ally, Ms Duterte, the daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

During his term, Duterte sought closer ties with China despite the Philippines’ decades-old alliance with the US. He is currently facing charges of crimes against humanity

at the International Criminal Court

, having staged a bloody drug war that killed thousands from 2016 to 2022.

Last week, tensions surfaced within the opposition movement after Mr Marcos

launched a government project in Naga City

, south of Manila, where liberal stalwart Leni Robredo serves as mayor, just days after Ms Duterte declared her presidential run.

The move drew criticism from progressive groups who were wary that it could be perceived as Mr Marcos courting an alliance with the liberals to help counter Ms Duterte.

Ms Robredo, who lost to Mr Marcos

in the 2022 presidential race

, remains among those floated as a potential challenger in 2028, though she has yet to signal whether she will run.

Prof Chua said the debate reflects how the politics of accountability and pragmatism continue to collide in post-EDSA democracy.

“It would be too much if there comes a day when the opposition would align with Marcos Jr because the common enemy is Duterte,” he said.

“For many of us, the Marcoses still haven’t admitted to the atrocities committed during martial law.”

Despite political divisions, opposition figures point to signs that the spirit of People Power continues to resonate, particularly among younger Filipinos with no lived memory of martial law. Mr Dee cited student-led protests against the flood-control scandal as evidence that civic engagement persists.

For Mr Casino, the true lesson of People Power lies more in fostering dialogue across differences than in the mere spectacle of unity.

“During the time of Marcos Sr, there was also that divide (among opposition forces). But because the lines were black and white, people agreed they had to dismantle the dictatorship to move forward,” he said.

“That’s what the memory of People Power is challenging us to do again today,” he added.

“Let’s talk on the level of issues and programmes we can unite on.”