Philippine presidential election: Candidate Marcos Jr. expected big win

Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Voting at a polling station in Batac City, Philippines on May 9 – Photo: REUTERS

According to Reuters news agency, candidate Marcos Jr. is winning by a margin of votes, more than twice that of rival Robredo.

Specifically, according to unofficial data of the Philippine Election Commission, with 66.1% of the votes counted, Mr. Marcos Jr. won 21.7 million votes in favor of Ms. Robredo’s 10.3 million.

A total of 10 candidates ran for president in an election widely seen as a defining moment for the Philippines’ democracy. However, only two people are predicted to have a chance of winning, congressman Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and current Vice President Leni Robredo.

According to polls ahead of polling day, Marcos Jr. – son of late president Ferdinand Marcos who ruled from 1965 to 1986 – is leading his opponent and is expected to have a big victory.

Philippine law stipulates that the winner only needs to be the one who gets the most votes. According to AFP news agency, the candidate’s personality, not their policy commitment, is what drives voter choice.

The political back-and-forth between the candidates has been particularly acrimonious in the past week, leading to violent incidents between supporters of both sides. More than 50 controversies leading to violence were reported to the police during this year’s presidential election season.

In addition to voting to choose the country’s president and vice president for the next six years, Filipino voters will also vote for 12 senators in this election.

At the local level, voters choose their delegates, the governor and deputy governor, and the mayors and councilors of their cities.