Topline
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. secured a commanding lead within the Philippines’ presidential race Monday, based on preliminary outcomes, setting the stage for Marcos—whose father was an authoritarian ruler till his 1986 ouster—to interchange strongman President Rodrigo Duterte.
Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., speaks … [+]
Key Details
Marcos, a former senator and governor whose nickname is “Bongbong,” had virtually 29.7 million votes as of early Tuesday morning native time, greater than double the 14.2 million votes held by second-place candidate and present Vice President Leonor Robredo, based on unofficial outcomes from broadcaster ABS-CBN.
Legendary boxer and senator Manny Pacquiao—who launched a presidential bid final 12 months centered on anti-corruption efforts—is in a distant third place, with almost 3.4 million votes.
Shocking Truth
Marcos’ working mate can also be the kid of a president: Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio is presently main within the race for vp, based on ABS-CBN (within the Philippines, presidential and vice-presidential candidates run for workplace individually).
Key Background
Marcos’ impending victory follows years of efforts to rehabilitate his household’s picture. His father Ferdinand Marcos was elected to the presidency in 1965 and remained in workplace for 21 years, a lot of it beneath a martial legislation regime that was tied to hundreds of arrests, disappearances and killings based on Amnesty Worldwide. The elder Marcos was additionally accused of stealing billions of {dollars} from the nation’s coffers, fueling a lavish way of life in a debt-ridden nation: His spouse Imelda Marcos—whose huge assortment of footwear and jewellery is usually cited as an emblem of the household’s alleged excesses—was convicted of corruption in 2018. He ultimately left workplace and fled to Hawaii in 1986 amid protests, dying three years later. Regardless of this legacy, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s social media-driven presidential marketing campaign has sought to reframe his father’s time in workplace as an period of sturdy financial development, denying widespread stories of corruption and human rights abuses through the Marcos period.
Tangent
Time period limits barred Duterte—who has led the Philippines since 2016—from working for a second time period. He stated final 12 months he’ll retire from politics, bringing an finish to his populist and often-harsh mode of governing: His authorities has been accused of killing scores of individuals in its pursuit of drug traffickers, and through the pandemic, he has threatened to shoot quarantine violators and arrest coronavirus vaccine skeptics to “inject the vaccine into their buttocks.”
What To Watch For
If Marcos is licensed because the winner, he could proceed a few of Duterte’s insurance policies. Like Duterte, Marcos is extensively anticipated to hunt stronger ties between the Philippines and China amid disputes between the 2 international locations over management of the South China Sea, although he has additionally pledged to stay allies with america. Marcos has additionally urged he’ll proceed Duterte’s conflict on medication however dedicate extra sources to rehabilitation as a substitute of enforcement, and he seemingly received’t help with an Worldwide Legal Courtroom investigation into proof of extrajudicial killings throughout Duterte’s drug conflict.
Additional Studying
Philippines President Duterte Will Retire As a substitute Of Operating For Vice President (Forbes)
30 Years After Revolution, Some Filipinos Yearn for ‘Golden Age’ of Marcos (New York Occasions)
How the Philippines’ brutal historical past is being whitewashed for voters (Washington Publish)
