Son of Imelda Marcos is the next Philippine President

[ASEAN NOW News]

96.55% of precincts reporting as of May 10, 2022, 8:56AM local time. 

 

Unofficial-partial results based on real-time data from the Comelec transparency server, gave Marcos a substantial lead.

 

The results at that time showed Ferdinand Marcos Jr on 30,643,024, 58.77% of the counted votes with Leni Robredo on 14,620,035 28.04% of the counted votes.

 

victory

 

 Ferdinand Marcos Jr therefore has clinched a stunning runaway victory in the Philippines' presidential election on Monday in the first win by a majority since a 1986 revolution that toppled his late father's two-decade dictatorship.

 

An unofficial tally showed Marcos, popularly known as "Bongbong", had surpassed the 27.5 million votes needed for a majority, setting the stage for a once unthinkable return to rule of the Marcos family, 36 years after its humiliating retreat into exile during a "people power" uprising.

 

"I hope you won't get tired of trusting us," Marcos told supporters in remarks streamed on Facebook, a platform at the core of his political strategy.

 

"We have plenty of things to do," he said, adding "an endeavour as large as this does not involve one person."

 

Double the votes

 

Marcos Jr had 29.9 million votes, double that of Leni Robredo, the vice president, with 93.8% of the eligible ballots counted, according to the unofficial Commission on Elections (COMELEC) tally. Turnout was about 80%.

 

An official result is expected around the end of the month.

 

Despite its fall from grace, the Marcos family returned from exile in the 1990s and has remained a powerful force in Philippine politics, retaining its influence with vast wealth and far-reaching connections.

 

Marcos Jr has served as a governor, congressperson and senator, his sister, Imee, is currently a senator and his mother Imelda, the influential powerbroker and widow of the late dictator, served four terms in congress.

 

Marcos Jr's son Ferdinand Alexander was also expected to win a seat in congress on Monday.

 

Marcos was criticised for skipping presidential debates and made few media appearances during the campaign, enabling him to limit scrutiny and control his message via a network of influencers and bloggers granted broad access to his events.

 

Monday's outcome demonstrates the massive impact of a sophisticated social media operation aimed at younger Filipinos born after the revolution, and a proliferation of misinformation challenging historical accounts of the Marcos martial law era.

 

His camp insists it has not engaged in disinformation.

 

About sixty-five million Filipinos were eligible to cast ballots for the president, vice president, legislative seats, and thousands of local posts from governors to city mayors and councilors.

 

COMELEC said the election was relatively peaceful, with fifteen security incidents, including three killings of security personnel in a region prone to political violence.

 

A high turnout caused long queues at polling centres, exacerbated in some areas by malfunctions in 533 of the 106,000 counting machines.

 

The National Union of People's Lawyers, whose members include victims of persecution under Marcos senior's martial law era, said the election was beyond comprehension and took aim at what it said was Marcos's historical revisionism.

 

"Fact can really be stranger than fiction. Or to be more precise, fiction can be repackaged into fact," it said in a statement.

 

"We shall carry on the fight even more intensely and await our redemption from this resurrected nightmare."

 

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao was in third place currently with 3,548,642 votes, 6.81% of the total counted.

 

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[bangon04]

"Monday's outcome demonstrates the massive impact of a sophisticated social media operation aimed at younger Filipinos born after the revolution, and a proliferation of misinformation challenging historical accounts of the Marcos martial law era."

 

Ergo:  the Filipino has the government he deserves........ unfortunately.