President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. admitted that he initially did not want to enter politics when he was young. In a podcast episode released on Thursday, he discussed his personal motivations and family history with editors from student publications. He stated that if he had not been born into his family, politics would not have been part of his life.
In the podcast episode released on December 11, the President was questioned about his personal life and family. He admitted that when he was young, he truly did not want to pursue a career in politics. “If I wasn’t born in my family, you know what, I'll tell you something, that all my – when I was young, I really did not want to enter politics,” he told the student publication editors.
He explained that he witnessed the heavy workload of his parents and had no desire to follow suit. As the only son, his parents were disappointed by his reluctance. Nevertheless, he entered politics as vice governor of Ilocos Norte in 1980, during his father's Martial Law regime. He became governor in 1983 until the family was ousted in the 1986 People Power Revolution, amid reports of human rights abuses and corruption.
The Marcos family eventually returned, with Bongbong now in Malacañang and his sister in the Senate. The interview did not mention his estranged sister, focusing instead on his parents. Despite his initial aversion, Marcos considers himself fortunate. “I see myself as the luckiest person I know. I do not know anyone else who is luckier than me because my father and mother were the way they are. That was my experience,” he said.