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Philippine voters go to the polls on Monday in a presidential election that is shaping up to be a rematch between the late dictator’s son and namesake and the human rights lawyer who narrowly defeated him in the vice presidential race in 2016. In the days leading up to the election, opinion polls showed Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr clearly ahead of his rivals, giving him a real chance of unseating Vice President Leni Robredo, who is currently running second in the polls.
“It is very rare that elections are truly decided by rational calculations, by scrutinising a candidate’s public record,” said Temario Rivera, a retired political professor. “There’s a lot of emotion involved, which is why you’re most comfortable with the narratives you’re most comfortable with.”
The 64-year-old Marcos, whose gravelly voice is strikingly similar to his father’s, has focused his campaign on a single message: unity.
“Regardless of your political colour, race, or creed, Bongbong Marcos will be the president of Filipinos,” a spokesperson said.
A victory for Marcos, who has maintained his lead while largely avoiding debates with key rivals, would complete a once-unthinkable rebranding of his family name, 36 years after a “power to the people” uprising deposed his father and drove his family into exile.
Robredo, 57, who describes the 1986 uprising as her political awakening, believes she can defeat Marcos again. Her campaign, which is based on the promise of an open and truthful government, appears to have gained traction in recent weeks, with large crowds attending rallies.
Pink-clad supporters of Robredo, the only female candidate in a field of ten, have gone door-to-door in an attempt to win over more voters.
“The last man standing in 2022 will still be a woman,” she predicted early in the campaign.
Former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, Manila Mayor Francisco Domingo, and Senator Panfilo Lacson are also running for president, though they are trailing in the polls.
Rodrigo Duterte, the incumbent president, has not endorsed a presidential candidate, but his political group is supporting Marcos, and his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, is Marcos’ running mate.
In recent polls, Duterte-Carpio remained the top choice for vice president, a position elected separately from the president and could be critical to a Marcos victory if she is successful in rallying her supporters behind him.
Whoever wins the elections will face a daunting task of rebuilding the economy, which was one of Asia’s fastest before the pandemic. Controlling inflation and navigating a foreign policy in the midst of a burgeoning China-US rivalry in Southeast Asia will also be critical.
