Marcos: I have no impulse to authoritarianism

MELBOURNE - President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said he had no impulse to authoritarianism, noting that the Philippines had a good system of government.

''I have no impulses to authoritarianism whatsoever. We have a good system going. I think we've learnt to, we have a constitution that we have, that we have gone by for the last 36 years now,'' Marcos said during an interview with ABC.

''We are making, hoping to make some changes to [the Constitution.] But, no, I have not felt any tug or temptation to make it a more authoritarian system,'' Marcos added.

Marcos said his father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., declared martial law at the time because of the peace and order situation.

''Well, it was a very different sort of authoritarian rule. I think when people think of authoritarian rule, it was non-participatory,'' Marcos explained.

''Whereas I think the version that my father tried to promote and actually practiced was very much still with the participation of all stakeholders that were involved. It was just a peace and order situation that really dictated the necessity for the declaration of martial law,'' he added.

Marcos Sr. was removed from power on February 25, 1986, when he and his family left Malacañang amid the EDSA Revolution. — DVM, GMA Integrated News