Philippines began voting on Monday morning (local time) to elect its new president, with the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos as the favorite to win the race, according to polls.
The polls opened at 06:00 local time, AFP journalists confirmed. Voting will run until 7:00 p.m. local time.
Nearly 40 years after his father was deposed and sent into exile, Ferdinand Marcos son seems poised to restore family power.
Ten candidates seek to succeed current President Rodrigo Duterte, but only Ferdinand Marcos and his rival Leni Robredo, current vice president, seem to have a chance of winning.
People wearing masks lined up before dawn to cast their ballots in front of schools and other sites converted into polling stations across the archipelago.
A high turnout is expected among the more than 65 million Filipinos eligible to vote.
More than 60,000 security agents were mobilized to protect the electoral process. No incidents have been reported.
Opinion polls point to a clear victory for Marcos, with a double-digit lead over Robredo in recent polls.
Under Philippine electoral law, the winner is the one with the most votes, without the need for a minimum percentage of support.
Since Robredo announced his intention to run for the presidency in October, groups of volunteers have sprung up in his support across the country, seeking to convince voters to back him.
Marcos’ campaign has gone to great lengths to cover up the brutal and corrupt record of his father’s regime and to capitalize on voter disenchantment with recent governments.
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