He is one of the first members of the Marcos clan to return from exile in the early 1990s, then to have started a political career in the Philippines as a deputy and then as a senator.

As the campaign for the presidential election in May kicked off on Tuesday, February 8, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the bloodthirsty Filipino dictator of the same name, is the favorite in the Filipino ballot.

Polls predict him a resounding victory on May 9, which would return to the presidential palace a family that fled more than 35 years ago after being deposed by a popular uprising in 1986.

Especially since her main rival, another heiress, Sara Duterte, the daughter of the current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who cannot run for re-election, announced on November 13 that she preferred to run for the vice-presidency of the country.

This position, above all honorary, is the subject of a separate vote in the Philippines.

However, the polls gave her ahead of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, but an agreement was sealed between the two powerful Duterte and Marcos clans.

In Bocaue, near Manila, on Tuesday, at a rally that looked like a rock concert, thousands of supporters gathered in an indoor stadium belonging to an influential Church chanted the names of the heirs of both camps: "Bongbong, Sara" - Bongbong being the nickname of Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Current Vice President Leni Robredo, a former lawyer serving the underprivileged and a sworn enemy of Marcos Jr and Mr. Duterte, is trailing far behind in the polls.

However, she is ahead of Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, retired boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and former police chief Panfilo Lacson.

An ascent linked to Rodrigo Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte, who credited his 2016 victory to support from the Marcos family, has long been a supporter of Marcos Jr. But he has been more critical in recent months, describing Marcos Jr as 'weak' and refusing to back any candidate , which has fueled speculation that he is trying to secure guarantees from the favorite for when he is no longer in charge.

The current Philippine head of state has also contributed to the return of the Marcos to the political scene of his country by hailing the former dictator Marcos as "the best president of all time" and ensuring that he is buried in Manila Heroes Cemetery.

The ousted dictator died in Hawaii in 1989 and his family was later allowed to return to the Philippines, where they were able to resume a political career by exploiting local loyalties to get elected to a succession of high offices.

Returning from exile, son Marcos Jr won his father's former congressional seat in Ilocos Norte in 1992, before being elected governor of the province six years later and then to the Senate in 2010.

His mother Imelda served three consecutive terms in the lower house of Parliament before giving way to her nephew.

Marcos Jr's sister is also a senator.

Rewrite the story of the reign of Marcos for the youngest

While acknowledging that the mandate of his father, author of a bloody repression during the years of martial law, was marked by human rights violations, Ferdinand Marcos Jr has a habit of minimizing them.

He is accused by his detractors of rewriting history, in particular through a communication campaign on Twitter, aimed at Filipino voters too young to remember the years of dictatorship.

The 64-year-old presidential candidate says he was too young to take responsibility for his father's regime, but his opponents point out that he was governor of the province of Ilocos Norte, a family stronghold, from 1983 to 1986, when Clan Chief Marcos was in power.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr was also named president of a government-controlled satellite service provider in 1985. The service was one of many companies used to funnel ill-gotten gains overseas, according to a collection agency assets set up after the fall of the father.

The parents of candidate Marcos have been ranked the second most corrupt leaders in history by the NGO Transparency International.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr is also accused of corruption, his detractors have notably filed appeals with the Electoral Commission to have him disqualified under an old conviction for failing to declare his income.

But even if he were excluded from the ballot, the electoral code allows a person with the same surname to replace him.

With AFP

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