[DOCUMENTARY] Marcos Jr. and Hawaii: Dictator’s son returns to land of his exile

MANILA, Philippines – It was a triumphant homecoming for the dictator’s son.

During the 38th anniversary month of the EDSA People Power Revolution, Rappler revisits President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s return to Hawaii in November 2023, more than three decades since his family’s exile in the island-state as a result of the uprising.

Rappler’s political reporter Dwight de Leon met with longtime anti-Marcos community leaders and diehard loyalists, to better understand how a family ousted by bloodless revolt sought refuge for years on an island that is over 5,000 miles away from the Philippines.

He also sat down with younger generations of Filipino immigrants who, in their small ways, continue to resist, despite being overwhelmed in numbers by a large group of pro-Marcos supporters in Hawaii.

Ang Muling Pagtapak ni Marcos Jr. sa Hawaii (Marcos Jr.’s Return to Hawaii) features interviews with the following people:

• Joe Lazo, a friend of the Marcoses who stuck with the family when they were exiled in Hawaii
• John Wickett, a retired American activist who actively opposed the Marcos family’s presence in Hawaii
• Richard Rothschiller of the Hawaii Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
• Ia Maranon, a graduate student in the University of Hawaii
• Raymond Sebastian, a pro-Marcos campaigner in 2022 and president of the Oahu Filipino Community Council
• Arcy Imasa, co-convener of the Hawaii Filipinos for Truth, Justice, and Democracy
• Dianne Deauna and Andrian Gajigan, graduate students in the University of Hawaii and members of Anakbayan Hawaii
• Rose Churma, a retired architect in Hawaii who drew anti-Marcos cartoons in the 1980s
• Margot Adair, a teacher and a widow of anti-Marcos cartoonist Dick Adair

Nearly four decades since the People Power Revolution, the question remains: Will Filipinos ever learn to rise above myths? – Rappler.com

Reporter/Writer: Dwight de Leon
Producers: Cara Angeline Oliver, JC Gotinga
Videographer: Jeff Digma
Video Editors: Jen Agbuya, Jaene Zaplan
Animation: Guia Abogado
Graphic Artists: Nico Villarete, Alyssa Arizabal
Supervising Producer: Beth Frondoso