A TikTok president for the Philippines

Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has been campaigning to become the next president of the Philippines via the power of TikTok and other social media. And Bongbong’s whitewashing of his family’s violent past has him on the cusp of victory.Today we go to the Philippines, where the presidential election is taking place next week. And we talk about how social media disinformation, yet again, might put a populist onto the global stage of power. Read the transcript.Host: Gustavo ArellanoGuests: L.A. Times Asia correspondent David PiersonMore reading:Dictator’s son uses TikTok to lead in Philippine election and rewrite his family’s pastTroll armies, a growth industry in the Philippines, may soon be coming to an election near youThe Marcos diary : A lust for power, an eye on glory