Administration's Controversies

He is the Philippine President, but his term is overshadowed by massive controversies. In our latest upload, The_President_s_Unpaid_Billions.mp4, we objectively examine the four major liabilities defining his administration's baggage: Legal Evasion: The 1995 tax conviction and a staggering $353M US Court contempt judgment. Economic Crises: Serving as his own Agriculture Secretary during the debilitating sugar and onion shortages that crushed the poorest Filipinos. The Maharlika Fund: Pushing through a state wealth fund despite economists warning of high risks and massive corruption. Sources: The 1995 Tax Conviction The Claim: Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was criminally convicted of tax evasion in 1995 for failing to file his income tax returns, a conviction upheld by the Court of Appeals in 1997. The Source: A November 2021 report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer states: "The decision of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in 1995 was upheld by the Court of Appeals (CA) in 1997. It became final in 2001 after Marcos withdrew his Supreme Court appeal." "The CA ruling saved the son and namesake of dictator Ferdinand Marcos from serving time in prison. It only imposed fines on Marcos for his failure to pay taxes and submit his income tax returns from 1982 to 1985..." he $353 Million US Court Contempt Judgment The Claim: The Marcos estate was hit with a $353 million contempt judgment in a US court for dissipating assets, which was later affirmed by the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The Source: An October 2012 report by the Daily Journal confirms: "Victims of the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines have won a $353 million contempt judgment against the Marcos estate, a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel has affirmed." The Philippine Daily Inquirer also reported: "A US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld on Oct. 24 a contempt judgment against Sen. Ferdinand 'Bongbong' R. Marcos Jr., his mother Imelda and the estate of Ferdinand E. Marcos for violating an injunction that barred them from dissipating assets of the estate." The Agriculture Crises (Sugar & Onion Shortages) The Claim: During the 2022-2023 period when Marcos appointed himself Secretary of Agriculture, the country faced severe agricultural shortages, including the sugar crisis. The Source: Wikipedia's entry on the "2022–2023 Philippine sugar crisis" details the situation: "There has been a noted shortage of supply of sugar in the domestic market of the Philippines after a poor harvest of for the 2021–22 crop year." "A plan to import 300,000 MT of sugar through Sugar Order No. 4 was subject to controversy which led to the resignation of officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA)." The Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) The Claim: The administration pushed through the state wealth fund despite warnings from economists about its risks and potential for corruption. The Source: A June 2023 article by the Philippine Daily Inquirer titled "UP economists make last-ditch plea vs Maharlika" states: "The economists warned that it posed serious risks to the economy and the public sector 'notwithstanding its proponents' good intentions.'" The economists further cautioned that the fund's current governance structure was "poorly designed, which opens the floodgates for political interference, mismanagement, and corruption." Altering Historical Narratives and Disinformation The Claim: Fact-checkers have noted that the Marcos administration's image is bolstered by social media disinformation, including efforts to erase or alter facts about the martial law era. The Source: A December 2023 report by VERA Files titled "VERA FILES FACT CHECK YEARENDER: Propping up the Marcos image through disinformation" states: "Over a year into President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, efforts to bolster a positive image of him were sown through disinformation." Another VERA Files report from December 2021 highlights how pro-Marcos propaganda "exaggerated 'achievements' of Marcos Sr. and his regime" and that "Seven of the 14 posts related to Marcos Sr. debunked by VERA Files Fact Check this year revived or rehashed myths about the late dictator, as well as false and misleading claims about his regime’s alleged economic and infrastructure-building achievements."