"The Philippines is once again in the international spotlight. This is perhaps the most striking opening in recent international news. The Philippines, the island nation of Southeast Asia, always seems to sail on the waves. From the fall of Marcos**, to Duterte's rise to power, to today's civil unrest, the political situation in the Philippines has been in a state of turmoil. And behind this, what kind of interaction and influence of domestic and foreign issues are there?
The civil strife in the Philippines cannot fail to mention the legacy of Marcos**. Marcos, the tenth in the Philippines, came to power in 1965 and declared martial law in 1972 until he was overthrown by the People Power Revolution in 1986. Marcos**'s 21-year rule has left a deep imprint on the Philippines, both positive and negative.
The positive side of Marcos is mainly reflected in political stability, economic development, and social construction. In the late 60s and early 70s of the last century, Marcos implemented a series of economic reform measures, including agricultural modernization, infrastructure construction, industrialization strategy, and foreign investment, which made the Philippines' economic growth rate reach more than 8%, becoming one of the four Asian tigers.
Marcos** has also strengthened national defense, expanded the size of the armed forces, improved the level of military equipment, and maintained close security cooperation with the United States. Marcos also paid attention to the development of social undertakings, improved the level of education, medical care and education, improved people's livelihood and welfare, and enhanced the quality of the people.
The negative side of Marcos** is mainly reflected in political corruption, economic crisis, social unrest, etc. After the imposition of martial law, Marcos gradually moved towards peace and security, depriving the people of their basic rights and freedoms, suppressing the opposition and abusing power, corruption, and trading power for money, which led to the rigidity and corruption of the political system.
In the late 70s and early 80s of the last century, Marcos** faced a severe economic crisis, due to oil prices**, increased external debt, foreign exchange shortages, inflation, the gap between rich and poor, etc., the economic growth rate of the Philippines fell to negative value, unemployment and poverty rates rose sharply, and the economy fell into trouble.
Marcos ** in the social aspect, also encountered great challenges, due to ethnic, religious, regional and other factors, the Philippines social ** is serious, the Muslim armed forces and communist guerrillas in the south continue to launch *** activities, and the anti-Marcos forces in the north are also growing, leading to social turmoil and violence.
After the fall of Marcos, the Philippines underwent several political changes, but none of them were able to effectively solve the country's internal and external problems until 2016, when Duterte was elected as the 16th Philippine president.
Duterte, the first person in Philippine history to come from Mindanao, is known for his iron-fisted governance and people-friendly style, and his coming to power has brought some new changes to the Philippines, but also faces some new challenges. Duterte's changes are mainly reflected in two aspects: domestic and foreign. In domestic affairs, Duterte** has launched a nationwide "war on drugs" with a focus on fighting drugs and terrorism, and has carried out large-scale arrests and executions of drug-related personnel, which has sparked controversy and criticism at home and abroad.
Duterte has also stepped up his military assault on Muslim militants and Communist guerrillas in the south in an attempt to restore security and stability in the south, but it has also raised a number of human rights and humanitarian issues. Duterte** also promoted a number of economic and social reforms, including raising the minimum wage, lowering income taxes, expanding infrastructure, and improving education and health care, with a view to promoting economic growth and improving people's livelihoods in the Philippines.
On the diplomatic front, Duterte has pursued an independent foreign policy, with relations with the United States showing cold and alienation, while relations with China have improved and engaged, promoting dialogue and cooperation on the South China Sea issue and maintaining regional peace and stability.
Duterte's foreign policy has won widespread support from the Filipino people and has also enhanced the Philippines' international status and influence. Duterte's challenges are also mainly reflected in both domestic and foreign affairs.
Duterte's "war on drugs" and anti-terrorism actions, although they have achieved certain results, have also paid a huge price, not only causing a large number of people and social unrest, but also causing strong condemnation and sanctions from the international community, affecting the image of human rights and international reputation of the Philippines.
On June 30, 2023, Duterte** officially ended, and Marcos** officially took power. Marcos is the son of former Filipino Ferdinand Marcos, also known as "Marcos Jr." Under the slogan of "Reform, Development, and Peace," he pledged to inherit and carry forward Duterte's achievements, while improving and perfecting Duterte's shortcomings to bring more well-being and hope to the Philippines.
His running mate, Sarah Duterte, Duterte's eldest daughter and current vice president and secretary of education, pledged to work with Marcos to bring more reforms and progress to the Philippines in the fields of education, culture, science and technology with the concept of "unity, collaboration and innovation".
The combination of Marcos and Sarah won the widespread trust and support of the Filipino people, and finally won the election of ** and vice ** by an overwhelming margin.
Marcos**'s prospects depend on their ability to effectively respond to the internal and external challenges of the Philippines and achieve a balance and development between the country's internal strife and diplomacy. Marcos** needs to continue to fight narcotics and terrorism, maintain national security and stability, and at the same time respect human rights and the rule of law, safeguard people's freedom and dignity, and avoid triggering opposition and resistance at home and abroad.
The Philippines, an island country in Southeast Asia, has experienced many political changes and social upheavals, as well as many economic ups and downs and diplomatic adjustments, and has never been able to get rid of the dilemma of civil strife and diplomacy. Marcos**'s coming to power has brought new hopes and opportunities to the Philippines, but it is also facing new challenges and pressures.
Whether Marcos and Sarah can lead the Philippines out of the predicament and achieve a win-win situation for both civil strife and diplomacy remains to be tested by time and practice. We will continue to pay attention to the development of the Philippines and wish peace and prosperity to the Philippines.