Precis

"How does Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of a dictator, who was ousted in a people power revolt 36 years earlier, how can history have been changed so drastically? With the help of social media platforms," says Maria Ressa, journalist and Noble Peace Prize laureate.

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, the son of his dictator father Ferdinand Snr, is poised to become the next President of the Philippines.

Once synonymous with corruption and authoritarianism, the Marcos family has succeeded in restoring its once tarnished reputation.

So how did this miraculous makeover happen?

Reporter Bonny Symons-Brown visits the Philippines on the eve of momentous national elections to find out how Bongbong Marcos became so popular his rivals barely stand a chance.

She finds a nation deeply divided over its recent political history.

Ferdinand Marcos ruled the country for two decades with an iron fist, imposing martial law and jailing and torturing his political opponents.

The President and his glamourous and powerful wife Imelda flaunted their lavish lifestyle as they stole billions from the nation's coffers.

In 1986, they were chased out of the country by a 'People Power' revolution but today many Filipinos have forgotten why and forgiven the family.

"I think people get tired of the mudslinging against the Marcoses, and people now realise that the best president and the best administration we had was President Marcos," says Larry Gadon, a senatorial candidate on Marcos Jr's ticket.

He dismisses the stories of torture and human rights abuses under martial law as 'propaganda'.

But Cristina lived it. A young activist during the martial law years, she was picked up by police, interrogated and tortured.

"We have to continue to tell the story so that it doesn't happen again," she says.

Journalist and Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa says part of the problem is the massive spread of disinformation online.

"What social media has done is to spread lies faster than facts', she tells Symons-Brown. "And this will help pave the way for a win."

This is a timely and disturbing story about how the powerful weapon of social media can be deployed to rewrite history.

Episode tease

Music

00:10

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: In the Philippines, the most important election in a generation is about to take place.  The namesake son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos is poised to be president.

00:13

Marcos Jr’s rise has divided the nation and become a referendum on fact versus fiction.  Fuelling it all, is a social media machine that’s rewriting history. 

00:30

"How is social media influencing this election?

00:44

MARIA:  It will determine who wins. I mean, how crazy is that? Right?

00:47

TINA: The young ones, they don’t know that this happened and they believe that the Marcoses had a good government.

LARRY GADON: All of these lies against the Marcos are all propaganda.

00:52

Title: The Marcos Makeover

Music

01:06

Bongbong campaign rally in Tarlac City

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: In Tarlac City, two hours north of Manila, the streets hum with a familiar cry. 

01:12

RUBEN: "Stay tuned, it looks like the president is arriving soon."

01:21

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr is in town and thousands of local fans have come to support him.

01:27

Music

01:34

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Known as Bongbong, or BBM, his initials are more than a catchy slogan. They’re part of an elaborate effort to distance the Marcos family from their brutal history.

01:45

WOMAN SUPPORTER: Marcos have done some things that people would disagree, but there are still a lot of positives.

02:01

So for me that’s the reason why I’m still supporting Bongbong. Why not give it a try, right?

02:08

Music

02:13

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Thousands of people have been turning up here since dawn just to catch a glimpse of the man

02:23

Bonny to camera at rally. Super:
Bonny Symons-Brown
REPORTING

that they hope will be the next president of the Philippines.

02:28

Campaign rally

The excitement here is incredible when you think this family was run out of the Philippines a few decades ago. But the Marcoses never went away.  And they’ve been masterful at using social media to attract a new generation of supporters who don’t know – or remember – the dark reality of the Marcos Sr dictatorship.  

02:36

Vlogger livestream from rally

RUBEN: "Shout out to our 3k viewers, to our community. Again don’t forget to share our livestream."

03:01

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Marcos Jr avoids journalists, preferring vloggers like Ruben, who livestream, comment and post only positive messages about him.

03:07

Ruben interview

"Do you think you're more powerful than the mainstream media following the campaign?"

RUBEN:  I think so. Because some of the media is so biased about Marcos and they never show anything that Bongbong Marcos - a good deed. 

03:17

As vloggers, we show the other side of the coin to the people. This is the real Marcos, not the one that mainstream said.

03:34

Bonny in crowd at rally

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Marcos Jr’s got more than 10 million followers across Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter.  His campaign is turbocharged by his own social media team, who produce hours of videos reframing the Marcos story.

03:43

Tribute to Marcos Snr video

BONGBONG MARCOS: "If there is one thing that I think clearly sets my father apart is that he had a very clear vision for our country. He viewed his work as president as one of nation building. Of building up our country to make it better."

04:05

Bongbong speech at rally

"I believe that we’ll see the day that our lives will be better, and our future will be brighter."

04:25

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Leading polls with 56 per cent support, Marcos Jr seems unstoppable. One of the Marcos campaign’s staunchest allies is this man.

04:35

Gadon in car surrounded by supporters

RALLY MC: "Up next is a lawyer. Not just any lawyer, but a brave lawyer with strong convictions who doesn’t back down.

04:48

Rally MC

Attorney Larry Gadon!"

04:59

Gadon campaigning at rally

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Vying for a Senate seat in these elections, Larry Gadon is a fixture at Marcos rallies.

05:03

LARRY GADON: "You don’t believe all those lies about Bongbong Marcos. All of that propaganda. Because you guys aren't…"

CROWD: "Stupid!"

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: The suspended lawyer

05:09

Drone shots city

is notorious for his crude, violent and sexist language.  But the Marcos Jr campaign says he’s been loyal.

"How did you feel when Ferdinand Marcos Snr was removed

05:22

Gadon interview

from power?"

LARRY GADON: I was crying for a whole week. I did not – I wasn't able to go out of the house. I was really hurt by what happened to President Marcos.

05:34

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: So do you feel like this is a comeback of sorts?

LARRY GADON: Yes. Bongbong Marcos is a comeback for the Marcoses.

05:50

I think people get tired of the mudslinging against the Marcoses, and the people now realise that the best president and the best administration we had was President Marcos.

05:57

Archival. Imelda & Ferdinand duet

06:14

Archival. Marcos Snr regime

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter:  For two decades Ferdinand Marcos Sr and his wife Imelda ruled like king and queen.  Although he was elected in 1965 and again in ‘69, the charismatic couple were a package deal.  Initially, the economy grew under Marcos and the president spent big on infrastructure. But cracks appeared.

06:23

Archival reporter: "He’s proclaimed himself president, prime minister, chief of the armed forces and one-man government, all in one."

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: In 1972, toward the end of his final term in office, Marcos Sr declared martial law.

06:49

Archival reporter: "Elections have been cancelled. Criticism of his actions and his regime has been outlawed. His political opponents have been jailed."

07:04

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Thousands were murdered, tortured, or disappeared while Ferdinand and Imelda blew millions on property, fine art and jewellery. By 1986, the Philippines could take no more.

07:13

Marcos overthrow

Archival reporter: "The economy is in ruins, the country has been bitterly divided, emotionally and politically.

07:33

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: A popular uprising driving the Marcoses into exile, where Marcos Sr later died.

07:38

Tina Bawagan and Etta Rosales have dinner at home

Music

07:44

TINA: "What are the updates about the case you filed?"

07:50

ETTA: "Of course we suspect that it's going to come out in favour of Marcos."

07:54

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Tina Bawagan and Etta Rosales are sisters. Both were arrested and tortured during martial law. And both have devoted their lives to holding the Marcos dictatorship to account.

07:59

ETTA: "So we’re going to file to appeal this to the Supreme Court. Because if you don’t, you're stupid."

08:13

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: The sisters come from a military family. Tina was in primary school when Marcos Sr became president.

08:19

Tina interview

TINA:  You know, we had a pretty good life. My mother used to campaign for Marcos because she and my father knew him personally. She soon learned of his corruption.

08:27

Street scenes. Night

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Tina was 27 and a member of the underground resistance to the Marcos regime when she was detained by soldiers.

08:40

TINA: I was seated in a chair, handcuffed. Then they started asking questions.

08:48

Tina interview at home

None of my answers satisfied him. So he slapped my face. Then he’d slap me again. Slap, slap, slap.

08:54

Then they would put a sharp object over my chest, and then they were fondle my breasts. And then the worst of it was that they put an object inside my vagina. And I shouted, but it was like no one could hear.

09:03

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: The physical torture only stopped when soldiers got word of her family’s military connections. But Tina remained in detention for a month.

09:23

TINA There are so many other stories, a lot more horrible than mine. I know of some women who were raped, but they cannot tell it because there is a stigma.

09:39

It’s important to tell it again and again and again, because so many of our countrymen don’t know it anymore. The young ones, they don’t know that this happened and they believe that the Marcoses had a good government, a benevolent government, that we were fine then. We have to continue to tell the story so that it doesn’t happen again.

09:57

Street scenes. Day

Music

10:35

Bonny at martial law wall of remembrance

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: At a quiet shrine in the capital, those who fought against the Marcos regime are remembered. Despite many eyewitness accounts and official reports about the violence, Larry Gadon dismisses it all.

LARRY GADON: That is all propaganda.

BONNY: No one was killed, disappeared or tortured?

10:51

Gadon interview

LARRY GADON: Those are rebels. They choose to fight the government, then if they die, that’s their fault. Don’t tell me you’ll fight the government, and you will just receive a slap on your face.

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: They were fighting a dictatorship.

11:13

LARRY GADON: Those are propaganda. We were all free during that time. The majority of Filipino people do not believe those lies, those propaganda, of human rights violations. Otherwise they would not go to BBM’s rallies.

11:30

Tacloban GVs

Music

11:45

Super:
Tacloban City
LEYTE, PHILIPPINES

11:53

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: On the island of Leyte, in the central Philippines, people have a special place in their hearts for the Marcoses.  Imelda Marcos grew up here, in Tacloban, where her family dominates local politics.

12:07

Bongbong rally

ALFRED:  "It is my pleasure to introduce the next president of the Republic of the Philippines, President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos." 

12:26

BONGBONG MARCOS: "Thanks very much for the warm welcome. It is really nice to come home again to Tacloban and be with you all. "

12:39

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Tonight’s rally is a family affair. Marcos Jr’s three sons are beloved on social media and this time he’s brought his youngest, Vincent, along.

12:51

Vincent on stage

BONGBONG MARCOS: "Now no one is paying attention to me. Everyone is looking at Vincent. I'm quite sure that my mother is watching the livestream. Let’s say hello to Imelda. Hello Imelda!"

13:03

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: This is how dynasties are made. If Marcos Jr pulls this election victory off, the family will emerge as the most powerful political clan in the country.

13:23

Chemmy watches livestream of rally

BONGBONG MARCOS: "Success is not only winning in the coming election in May. The real victory is when we can say we are here, we are Filipinos and together we will rise again. Thank you so much and goodnight."

13:36

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: What will you do if BBM wins?

14:04

Chemmy interview

CHEMMY: I will laugh hard. At last BBM wins! It was really supposed to be BBM in 2016. There was cheating that happened. That’s why we’re really annoyed.

14:08

Chemmy at home, watches social media

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter:  Chemmy Rivas was born in Tacloban. And like so many people I spoke to, her loyalty to the Marcoses goes back generations.

14:24

CHEMMY: They say that it was good during Marcos Sr. Based on the stories of my grandmother – she is dead but according to her – it was beautiful back then.

14:36

Chemmy interview

My mum and aunties say the same thing. If Bongbong wins, it might also be good again.

14:54

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: She spends about five hours on social media a day and it’s reinforced her views about the Marcos family.

15:07

CHEMMY: This is just based on what I’ve heard from older people and from what I’ve seen on Facebook.

15:14

Chemmy watches social media video

SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO: "People said that Marcos had the money and it was stolen from the people. Can you imagine that? They just twisted everything."

15:23

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: The platform is awash with videos like this, which claim the Marcoses weren’t corrupt.

15:33

Chemmy interview

CHEMMY: How can they say that about corruption? I read that the Marcoses were really rich even before he became president.

15:46

Town GVs

Music

15:57

MARIA RESSA: One hundred percent of Filipinos on the internet are on Facebook. Facebook is our internet.

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Journalist Maria Ressa is the founder of news outlet Rappler and a fighter in the global war against disinformation.

MARIA RESSA: There were definitely Marcos networks of disinformation.

16:09

Maria interview

A lot of them were taken down, but then they’ve regenerated and this will help pave the way for a win. The elections in the Philippines on May 9^th are emblematic of everything that is wrong, right? How does Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of a dictator who was ousted in a people power revolt 36 years earlier, how can history have been changed so drastically? With the help of social media platforms.

16:30

Maria and team at work

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: For years, Maria Ressa and her team have been mapping the spread of disinformation networks in the Philippines.

16:59

Maria interview

MARIA RESSA: When we looked at this over time from 2016, all the way to 2022, what we saw was that these networks began to take over the centre of the information ecosystem and slowly push out the traditional news groups. And these news organisations that thought they had tremendous power were essentially pushed to the side and the centre of the information ecosystem was taken over by disinformation networks.  

17:07

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: In January, Twitter suspended more than 300 accounts and hashtags promoting Marcos Jr’s campaign. The company found they breached its rules on spam and manipulation.

17:33

MARIA RESSA: You cannot have integrity of elections if you don't have integrity of facts. And what social media has done is not only to make facts debatable, but to actually spread lies faster and further than facts.

17:46

Our Lady of EDSA shrine

Music

18:00

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Ruben, tell me what time it is in New York?

18:11

Zoom call with Ruben Carranza

RUBEN CARRANZA:  It’s 7.25pm.

18:14

Ruben at work

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Lawyer Ruben Carranza was a government investigator charged with tracking down the billions of dollars stolen by the Marcoses and their associates.

18:20

Zoom call with Ruben Carranza

RUBEN CARRANZA: One estimate that the commission I served in continues to use is somewhere between 5 billion dollars to as much as 10 billion dollars.

18:30

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: How did they get away with it?

RUBEN CARRANZA: They were able to hide the corruption they committed by using political violence and repression. At the same time, they were able to steal as much as they could because they controlled all levers of power in the state. This was also cruelty.  Children were dying of malnutrition; the Marcoses went on shopping, stealing, hoarding ill-gotten wealth.

18:40

Imelda Marcos at court hearing

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: The commission has recovered about 3.3 billion US dollars and another 2.4 billion is under litigation.  Dozens of cases have been brought against the family.  Imelda Marcos was convicted of graft in 2018 but is out on bail and appealing the verdict. She's never gone to jail – a fact which feeds the lie they never stole anything at all.

19:08

Ruben zoom call

RUBEN CARRANZA: That's also the reason why Marcos Jr is running, to make sure that his mother will continue to have the impunity that they've had for decades.

19:36

Our Lady of EDSA shrine

Music

19:46

Driving shots. Presidential campaign posters line fences

19:50

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: In a sea of presidential aspirants, only one has any chance of stopping a Marcos Jr victory.

19:54

Leni Robredo campaign rally

Leni Robredo beat Marcos Jr for the vice presidency in 2016, then spent years fighting his official protest of the result.

20:01

LENI ROBREDO: "You are witnesses. For everyone who voted for me here, I did not betray your trust in me."

20:16

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Before entering politics, Robredo was a human rights lawyer. She’s running for the presidency on an anti-corruption platform, and a promise to reduce poverty.

20:27

LENI ROBREDO: "The real strength of our country does not come from money or machinery."

20:38

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: But she’s not cutting through. Only 23% of voters support her.

20:46

Kiko Pangilinan poses for photo with supporters

Her running mate is Senator Kiko Pangilinan.  

"Why do you think so many people are voting for the Marcos campaign?"

20:57

Kiko interview

KIKO PANGILINAN: Unfortunately, we don't think the Googles and the Facebooks and the TikToks are doing enough. We feel they should be doing more. A lot of voters have no time to digest. They’re too busy trying to make a living. They’re just too busy trying to keep their heads above water. So whatever is there that is repeated over and over and over again, they tend to absorb that.  

21:06

Jaja organising voter education session

JAJA FUGOSO: "We're going to have a discussion! Let's go, we're starting. Hurry! Mother, we're about to start the discussion. Discussions like these are very important for poor people like us."

21:37

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: For this community in the capital Manila, daily life is a struggle. One in four Filipinos live in poverty, and disillusionment with politicians is high.

22:00

Jaja addresses community

JAJA FUGOSO: "Our minds are being poisoned by fake news and false history."

22:15

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Jaja Fugoso has been working in this community for two years.  She’s conducting voter education sessions ahead of polling day.

22:23

Jaja interview

JAJA FUGOSO: This community doesn't have electricity, no TV or radio, all people have are their cell phones. So they get their news from Facebook, and they get their history from TikTok, and YouTube.

22:32

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Phone data costs a dollar. And if you run out of credit, the Facebook newsfeed is free.

22:52

JAJA FUGOSO: People are confused about what is real and what is fake. The impact of social media is really obvious in communities like this. The candidates take advantage of this. This is where they spread and present their platforms and disinformation.

22:58

Maria interview

MARIA RESSA:  Democracy is so vulnerable because people’s minds and emotions are so easy to manipulate.  The biggest problem that I see globally is that news organisations lost our gate-keeping powers to tech, and tech abdicated responsibility for protecting the public's sphere. 

23:22

Marcos/Duterte campaign posters, Duterte rally

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Our requests for an interview with Marcos Jr have been repeatedly stonewalled. So I decided to try putting some questions to his running mate, vice presidential candidate Sara Duterte. 

23:42

SARA DUTERTE: For all of us, this is our UniTeam of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte.

23:59

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: She’s the daughter of current president, Rodrigo Duterte. I wanted to know why these two political dynasties have decided to join forces.

24:07

Bonny questions Duterte

"You could have easily run for president on your own. Why did you decide not to do that?... What’s the relationship between your family and the Marcos family?

SARA DUTERTE: No comment, thank you.

24:18

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: We’re soon surrounded by security.

24:33

Security stop questioning

"I don’t understand why you’re stopping us."

27:37

REX: It not that she doesn't want to answer questions it's just these people came out for her.

24:42

PRESS SECRETARY: The reason I asked you to submit questions is we need to relay the questions to Ma'am Sara and then…

24:46

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: So that you can then vet the questions and decide whether to provide an interview or not.

PRESS SECRETARY:  No, no, no.

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: This is an obfuscation tactic by your campaign to avoid hard questions.

REX: No, no, if we wanted to frustrate you, we wouldn’t even approach you now.

24:53

Ruben in to Jay's flat for broadcast

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: On the other side of the city, vlogger Ruben is churning out more Marcos Jr content.

25:20

JAY CHO: "Now Ruben is editing the next news item that will come out on Balitam Pinas. 

25:32

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter:  Ruben is the vlog’s sole employee. His boss is Jay Cho, who runs the page from his flat.

JAY CHO: The mainstream media in the Philippines is a bit sketchy nowadays,

25:42

Jay interview

because they didn't like Bongbong Marcos, and even the father of Bongbong Marcos. A lot of people in the Philippines and even abroad are depending on the vloggers because they report non-edited news, such as like what we’re doing.

25:52

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Facebook pages like yours have been accused of spreading misinformation. Do you think you spread misinformation?

26:15

JAY CHO: No, because I only spread support for Bongbong Marcos. I didn't say, oh, this other politician, this other presidential aspirant is this or that, this or that. I only speak for the support of the Filipinos for Bongbong Marcos. I didn't indulge in negative campaigning as Bongbong Marcos said.

26:22

Ruben editing

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: They say the Marcos campaign doesn’t pay them. But the ad revenue they generate from Facebook is enough to support them both.

26:47

Jay interview

"Do you see yourself as a Marcos fan first or a businessman first?" 

26:56

JAY CHO: I look at myself as a supporter and if I earn for what I'm doing it’s just the perks of it. 

26:59

Ruben editing

"Hurray to BBM-Sara vloggers. Keep up the good work. Filipinos love BBM."

27:10

Jay interview

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Do you feel that you are partly responsible for why he's so popular? 

JAY CHO: Well, um, yeah, a little bit. Yeah. Maybe.

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: How does that feel?

JAY CHO: Well, it's my, it's called in Filipino, it's ambug.

27:18

Bongbong campaign rally

It’s my way of giving back to the people.

27:37

LARRY GADON: People love him. You can see. Bongbong Marcos will win.

27:47

BONNY SYMONS-BROWN, Reporter: Did you ever think you’d see the Marcoses in power again?

27:59

TINA: Oh no. Not at all. Well, at least not in 1986. We were so happy that they left and we thought they would never return.

28:02

Credits [see below]

28:14

Out point

28:31