The son and namesake of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, given the clear winner of the presidential election by the polls, concluded his campaign on Saturday May 7 with a giant meeting in the suburbs of Manila.
A victory in Monday's poll would cap decades of efforts to rehabilitate the legacy of his father, the dictator Marcos who was toppled in 1986 and died in exile in the United States.
The prospect of seeing Ferdinand Marcos Junior arrive in the presidential palace, however, worries human rights activists, religious dignitaries and political analysts, who fear a government "without constraint".
Ten candidates are in the running to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte in a one-round ballot where the relative majority is enough to be elected.
“Change the political system more radically”
For its comeback, the Marcos clan has fed on popular anger over corruption and persistent poverty under the various governments since the dictatorship.
According to the polls, Ferdinand Marcos Jr could win the presidential election with an absolute majority, which would be a first since the departure of his father.
Observers fear such an outcome would weaken the balance of power, foster corruption and lead to another attempt to revise the 1987 Constitution, including ending the one-term limit for presidents.
“If he wins a really landslide victory, it could give him that sort of confidence and momentum to more radically change the political system of the Philippines,” said Richard Heydarian, professor of political science at De la Salle University in Manila. .
According to the latest Pulse Asia Research poll, Ferdinand Marcos Jr would win with 56% of the vote against 33% for his closest rival, Leni Robredo, who beat him in 2016 for the post of vice-president.
Late entry into the campaign, Ms. Robredo, 57, who has hammered that "the future of the country" is at stake, still hopes to create a surprise in view of her recent rise in opinion polls.
Rehabilitation
His last meeting took place in a carnival atmosphere, his supporters gathering by the tens of thousands in the business district of Manila, dressed in pink.
"Victory awaits us," she told her supporters.
"I think this election is very important, the next six years of our lives will depend on it," Charmaigne Ang, 18, who will be voting for the first time and does not believe in polls, told AFP.
Still reeling from his 2016 defeat, Marcos Jr led a very framed campaign.
Avoiding televised debates with his rivals and shying away from interviews except those conducted by complacent celebrities, he has favored videos on YouTube that seek to present him and his wealthy family as ordinary Filipinos.
The rewriting of family history also went through a massive disinformation campaign on social networks targeting young voters who did not experience the father's period, marked by corruption and violence.
The popularity of Marcos Jr has been further strengthened thanks to the alliance formed with the daughter of the incumbent president, Sara Duterte, who is running for the vice-presidency, and by the support of several rival political dynasties.
Days before the election, rights advocates and several Catholic priests spoke out to prevent a return of the Marcos family to Malacanang Palace.
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