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With Marcos Jr. tipped to win, Philippines at tenuous moment

Published:Monday | May 9, 2022 | 9:49 AM
Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the son of the late dictator, votes at a polling center in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, northern Philippines on Monday, May 9, 2022. Filipinos were voting for a new president Monday, with the son of an ousted dictator and a champion of reforms and human rights as top contenders in a tenuous moment in a deeply divided Asian democracy. (AP Photo)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The son and namesake of ousted Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos took a commanding lead in an unofficial count of more than 60% of the votes in Monday's presidential election in the deeply divided Asian democracy.

Marcos Jr. had more than 20.9 million votes, far ahead of his closest challenger, current Vice President Leni Robredo, a champion of human rights, who had 9.9 million votes.

The election winner will take office on June 30 for a single, six-year term as leader of a Southeast Asian nation hit hard by two years of COVID-19 outbreaks and lockdowns.

Still more challenging problems include deeper poverty and unemployment and decades-long Muslim and communist insurgencies.

The next president is also likely to hear demands to prosecute outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte for thousands of killings during his anti-drug crackdown — deaths already under investigation by the International Criminal Court.

Duterte's daughter, southern Davao city Mayor Sara Duterte, is Marcos Jr.'s vice-presidential running mate in an alliance of the scions of two authoritarian leaders who concern human rights groups. The tie-up has combined the voting power of their separate northern and southern political strongholds, boosting their chances but compounding worries of human rights activists.

Marcos Jr., whose father was ousted in a 1986 army-backed “People Power” uprising, held a wide lead in pre-election surveys. But Robredo tapped into shock and outrage over the prospect of a Marcos recapturing the seat of power and harnessed a network of campaign volunteers to underpin her candidacy.

Officials said the election was relatively peaceful despite pockets of violence in the country's volatile south. Thousands of police and military personnel were deployed to secure election precincts, especially in rural regions with a history of violent political rivalries.

Filipinos stood in long lines to cast their ballots, with the start of voting delayed by a few hours in a few areas due to malfunctioning vote machines, power outages, bad weather and other problems.

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