Bongbong Marcos 'very close' to announcing 2022 plans after presidential nomination

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24) — Former Senator Bongbong Marcos said he is finalizing his plans for the upcoming national elections after he was nominated by the party founded by his father as its presidential candidate for the 2022 polls.

The Kilusang Bagong Lipunan nominated the son of former strongman Ferdinand Marcos as its standard bearer. He thanked them for the nomination, but he did not clearly accept it.

"I am overwhelmed by the expressions of support and the endorsement you have given me today," he said in a taped speech that aired during KBL's national convention.

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In a separate media forum, he said that cannot be interpreted as an acceptance. Marcos has been part of the Nacionalista Party since 2009.

Marcos said he is in the final stages of deciding which national post he will run for. He bared he has been talking to several vice presidential aspirants.

"Ang final decision sa paano gagawin, malapit na talaga. Dahan-dahan nabubuo ang ating mga plano because a national candidacy is a different kind of candidacy," he said during at the Friday News Forum. "That decision has yet to be made, but we are very, very, very close to announcing."

[Translation: The final decision will be out soon. Plans are slowly getting completed because a national candidacy is different.]

This statement from Marcos garnered mixed reactions from netizens, with some expressing support while others dismiss such.

In an interview with CNN Philippines' The Final Word, Tony La Viña, political analyst and former dean of the Ateneo School of Government, said the idea of having a Marcos in public office angers some Filipinos since they are afraid the country may return to the Martial Law era.

"He is a Marcos and people remember what happened then and particularly because Bongbong and his siblings have actually not apologized, not acknowledged the hurt, the corruption, and the killings that happened during their father's tenure," he explained.

However, La Viña said Marcos loyalists still support him and other members of their family to run for public office, as former President Ferdinand Marcos stayed in power for years that led him to establish a network of people loyal to him.

But should Marcos run for president, La Viña said he believes the son of the late dictator cannot defeat Manila Mayor Isko Moreno who represents the "future generation."

"He (Marcos) is kind of rusty now that he is coming back. Let's be clear: He is just running on the name and hoping that he gets the loyalists following while at the same time hoping that the young, the new voters would have forgotten his family's history." La Viña added.