Opinion: Many Filipinos might not recall the frightening rule of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos -- but I do

The favorite to become next Philippines president is Ferdinand Marco Jr. -- better known as "Bongbong" -- the only son of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, the notorious dictators who looted the nation of billions of dollars, left a trail of torture and abuse of political opponents, and became internationally renowned for their extravagance and greed before being ousted in a bloody coup in 1986.

Even if most Filipinos alive today don't remember what those days were like -- half of the country's population was under 8 years old when the Marcos parents were ousted -- I certainly do. They were days of wine and roses and an all but unprecedented kleptocracy -- many of Imelda's infamous collection of 3,000 shoes, reportedly now sit in a Manila museum.