70th Birthday Commemoration : Loyalists Conduct Mass Baptism to Honor Marcos

Two-month-old Ferimarc Marcos de los Santos never knew Ferdinand E. Marcos in the 20 years that the former president ran the Philippines with an iron hand.

The baby boy was born more than a year after the former dictator was driven from power in disgrace when the Filipino people rose up against him and installed Corazon Aquino as president.

But on Friday afternoon, in one of the stranger sideshows to the current political crisis here, little Ferimarc was one of more than 300 infants and children renamed for the ousted ruler or his wife, Imelda, in a mass baptism to commemorate Marcos’ 70th birthday.

In all, about 2,000 Marcos loyalists gathered in front of Manila’s downtown post office with placards and thousands of red and blue balloons bearing the exiled ruler’s portrait, as a priest baptized their newborn children “Ferdinand” or “Imelda” one by one.

Political Event for Party

It was also a political event. Leaders of Marcos’ New Society Movement political party, which was trounced and discredited in recent legislative elections, used the birthday baptism as a platform to join the splintering opposition groups that have been denouncing Aquino’s rule in the two weeks since a coup attempt against her was defeated Aug. 28.

“Down with Cory!” many shouted, while the priest dabbed the new little Ferdinands and Imeldas with a handkerchief soaked in holy water on the makeshift stage on the front steps of the post office.

Asked why he had named his son, Ferimarc--a blending of Ferdinand, Imelda and Marcos--the father replied, “It is something of a protest. We are against Cory because she is weak.”

And, playing on the Marcos loyalists’ slogan, “Peoples’ Will,” he added, “A name is not up to the child. It is the parents’ will what name to choose.”

Other loyalists chose similarly strange concocted names for the Friday christening. There was an “Imeldinand” and a “Marimelda,” and one mother said she named her daughter “Fermelda” because, “I couldn’t decide which one I loved more.”

Reminder of Marcos Tactics

For many longtime observers of the Philippines, the rites were a sad reminder of the way the Marcoses once ruled the nation by cult of personality, often using their birthdays as occasions to dedicate statues or portraits of themselves or slice ribbons on such political development projects as the Imelda Marcos Highway or the Ferdinand E. Marcos Memorial Hospital.

Marcos loyalist leaders, however, conceded that it was also a political gimmick to try to capitalize on the acute political and military unrest now facing Aquino, even though the pro-Marcos group has become little more than a source of amusement for most Filipinos.

Largely, though, it was a festive affair that provided welcome comic relief at a time when most Manilans are deeply concerned about the future of their government.

As the largely impoverished crowd at the post office sang “Happy Birthday” to the former president again and again, and threw red, white and blue confetti, the official campaign colors of Marcos’ party, President Aquino continued to deliberate changes in her Cabinet on Friday after Wednesday’s mass Cabinet resignation.

Bank Official Resigns

There were more resignations Friday as the governor of the Central Bank and eight other officials resigned. Jose Fernandez stepped down as Central Bank governor and head of the Monetary Board, as did the board’s five other members. Also tendering resignations were the commissioners of the internal revenue, customs and immigration departments.