Ferdinand Marcos Junior guaranteed to become the next president of the Philippines.

The son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos has largely won the presidential election in the Philippines, according to a first count given on Tuesday, May 10, in the morning, which ensures him a definitive lead over his closest rival.

After counting more than 90% of the votes, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Junior, 64, won nearly 30 million, against less than half for candidate Leni Robredo.

Final certification of the vote should take several weeks.

About 67 million Filipinos were called to the polls for these general elections, during which the vice-president was also to be designated as well as the deputies, half of the senators, the provincial governors and thousands of other local elected officials.

Polls had predicted a landslide victory for Marcos Junior, after an election campaign marked by torrents of misinformation.

For years, pro-Marcos Junior accounts have invaded social media, portraying his father's 20 years of rule (1965-1986) to young Filipinos as a golden era of peace and prosperity for the Philippines.

And ignoring the tens of thousands of opponents arrested, tortured or killed, or even the billions of dollars stolen by the Marcos clan from the coffers of the country for their personal enrichment.

The regime had been overthrown in 1986 by a huge popular revolt, and the Marcos family had gone into exile in the United States, before returning to the country to reweave a powerful network of political support.

Alliance with the outgoing president's daughter

The Marcos are now expected to return to the Malacanang presidential palace in Manila, from where 'Bongbong' has vowed to restore 'unity' to the country during his six-year term.

"This is a historic election," commented Cleve Arguelles, professor of political science at La Salle University in Manila.

Marcos Jr had a rather lackluster election campaign, struggling to galvanize his supporters and drawing smaller crowds than his rival Leni Robredo.

But a series of behind-the-scenes dealings with other political clans seems to have been enough to bring him victory.

And in particular his alliance with Sarah Duterte, daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, on track to win the vice-presidential election, which took place separately on Monday.

Leni Robredo, a 57-year-old lawyer and economist, narrowly defeated Marcos Junior in the race for vice-president in 2016. During her presidential campaign, she promised to rid Philippine democracy of corruption, in an archipelago where a handful families have control over the country.

Other candidates for president included legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao and former garbage collector turned actor Francisco Domagoso.

Personality, rather than political platform, usually influences the choice of candidate, and vote buying and intimidation are also recurring problems in the country.

With AFP

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