Many didn't want to believe it until the last moment: But in the Philippines, 36 years after the end of the dictatorship, a Marcos will become president again.

The 64-year-old son of the dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., clearly won the election on Monday.

From the family's point of view, this fixes a mistake in the story.

The clan, led by Imelda Marcos, now 92, since the dictator's death in 1989, believes it is a calling and destiny to lead the island nation of 110 million people.

At least since returning from exile, Imelda, her daughters and "Bongbong", as the only son and thus natural candidate for the president's successor is usually just called, have been working towards this moment.

Marcos Jr. has previously served as a congressman, governor and senator.

Till Fähnders

Political correspondent for Southeast Asia.

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With the triumphant re-entry of the clan into the presidential palace Malacañang, the natural order is restored from the family's point of view.

This comes as a shock to many Filipinos, for whom the Marcos regime was not the "golden age" it is now being portrayed as.

For them, the Marcos years were arguably the darkest chapter in modern Filipino history.

The former dictator and his wife Imelda, the second-placed former "Miss Manila", could not get enough of the power, the prestige and also the wealth.

Marcos Sr. averted the threat of being voted out after two terms by imposing martial law on the Philippines.

He justified the undermining of democracy with the threat of insurgent communists.

Under this guise, he had thousands of people locked up and murdered, others were abducted and have never appeared again.

Throughout this period, the dictator and his wife continued to cultivate their own understanding of what it means to serve the people.

They are said to have stolen more than ten billion dollars from the state treasury over the years, obtained them through corruption and with the help of enterprising figures called "Cronies".

Not only Imelda's collection of luxury shoes is legendary, but also that of the various Van Goghs, Picassos and Rembrandts that were spotted on the walls of her apartment in Manila just a few years ago.

This was also the world of privilege that "Bongbong" grew up in.

If one can believe the assessment of various long-term observers, the lifestyle shaped his personality.

It is true that he had already been entrusted with his first political offices at the age of 23.

But throughout his life he had the reputation of a bon vivant and party boy who didn't really take his academic and professional career seriously.

To this day, Marcos insists he graduated from Oxford University in 1978.

According to the university, he never finished his studies.

Marcos Jr. sees father as a 'political genius'

During his time as a member of parliament, governor and senator, he did not launch any significant political initiatives.

To date, "Bongbong" has not distanced himself from his father's actions either.

On the contrary, in an interview he recently described his father as a "political genius".

During the election campaign, his supporters kept repeating the tale of the good old days, even though the economy was in a deep doldrums under Marcos Sr. at the time.

In his campaign, the dictator's son played jazzed-up propaganda songs from back then.

Even visually, he was becoming more and more like his father, with his haircut getting shorter over his ears, and the white shirts and jackets that were also typical of Marcos Sr.