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Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, has largely won the presidential election in the Philippines, and according to the first count given Tuesday morning, he will have a firm lead over his closest rival. The final certificate of voting should take several weeks.
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be the next President of the Philippines. The son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos has largely won the presidential election in the Philippines, according to the first count given on the morning of Tuesday, May 10, which confirms a stronger presence than his closest rival.
After counting more than 90% of the vote, 64-year-old Ferdinand “Bangpong” Marcos Jr. won nearly 30 million, with less than half the votes against candidate Leni Roberto. The final certificate of voting should take several weeks.
About 67 million Filipinos are invited to vote in this general election, which will include the appointment of a vice president and representatives, half senators, provincial governors and thousands of local elected officials.
Polls had predicted that Marcos Jr. would win a landslide victory after an election campaign marked by misinformation.
Over the years, pro-Marcos junior accounts have occupied social media, portraying his father’s 20-year rule (1965-1986) as a golden age of peace and prosperity for young Filipinos in the Philippines. Tens of thousands of enemies were arrested, tortured or killed or billions of dollars were stolen from the country’s treasury by the Marcos clan for their personal prosperity.
The regime was overthrown by a major popular uprising in 1986, and the Marcos family was deported to the United States, which then regained strong political support before returning to the country.
Alliance with the daughter of the outgoing president
Marcos is now expected to return to the Malanang Presidential Palace in Manila, from where ‘Pong Pong’ has vowed to restore ‘unity’ in the country during his six-year tenure.
“This is a historic election,” said Clive Arkwell, a professor of political science at La Sale University in Manila.
Marcos Jr. had a sluggish election campaign, struggled to motivate his supporters and attracted a smaller crowd than his rival Leni Robredo.
But a series of behind-the-scenes contacts with other political clans seems to be enough to bring him success. In particular, he is allied with Sarah Duterte, the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, on her way to victory in Monday’s separate vice-presidential election.
Lenny Roberto, a 57-year-old lawyer and economist, narrowly defeated Marcos Jr. in the 2016 race for vice president. During his presidential campaign, he promised to rid the Philippine democracy of corruption. Nationwide.
Other candidates for the presidency include renowned boxer Manny Pacquiao and former garbage collector Francisco Tomakoso.
Personality generally influences candidate selection more than the political base, and vote-buying and intimidation are a recurring problem in the country.
With AFP
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