The prospect of a Marcos revival looms as the Philippines votes for a new president

MANILA, May 9 (Reuters) – The Philippines votes on Monday in its most divisive presidential election in decades, with the prospect of an unthinkable return to rule by the Marcos family, 36 years after they were ousted in a “people power” uprising. . .

The election pits Vice President Leni Robredo against former senator and congressman Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of a dictator whose 20-year rule ended in public revolt and the humiliating retreat of his family into exile.

Opinion polls put Marcos, popularly known as “Bongbong”, ahead of his rival by more than 30 percentage points, having led all polls this year. That means Robredo will need a late raise or low turnout if he wants to win the presidency.

Marcos, 64, has presented no real political platform, but his presidency is expected to provide continuity for outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose ruthless, strongman approach proved popular and helped him consolidate power quickly.

Robredo, 57, a former human rights lawyer and staunch liberal, has pledged to improve education and welfare, fight poverty and improve market competition if elected.

Polls open at 6 am (2200 GMT on Sunday) and close at 7 pm (1100 GMT on Monday) and an unofficial vote count could give an indication of the winner a few hours later.

Marcos is heartened by a cult following of younger Filipinos born after the 1986 revolution, which has launched a massive social media offensive in an upbeat campaign that has undertones of historical revisionism. read more

Her supporters and social media influencers have dismissed her late father’s narratives of looting, cronyism and martial law brutality as lies spread by opponents, presenting what her critics say is a different version of the story. The Marcos camp has denied having carried out disinformation campaigns.

Despite their fall from grace, the Marcos family returned from exile in the 1990s and have been a powerful force in Philippine politics ever since, retaining their influence with great wealth and far-reaching connections.

The vote also presents an opportunity for Marcos to avenge his acrimonious loss to Robredo in the 2016 vice-presidential election, a narrow loss by just 200,000 votes that he tried unsuccessfully to overturn.

Mass rallies were held in the capital Manila on Saturday in a festival-like finale to the campaigns. read more

Marcos has stayed away from the debates and has campaigned on a message of optimism and unity, telling hundreds of thousands of supporters on Saturday that he dreamed of a “victory of unity of the entire Philippines.”

Robredo promised his supporters better education, health care and public services if elected.

“It is our right to have a decent future and it is our job to fight for it,” he said, between chants of “Leni, Leni.”

A game changer in the election could be vice-presidential running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio, the popular daughter of the incumbent president, who could transfer some of her father’s massive support to Marcos. The president has not endorsed any candidate.

Some 65 million Filipinos are eligible to vote to decide on a successor to Duterte after his six years in power.

Some 18,000 jobs are also up for grabs, from seats in the Senate and Congress to mayors, governors and councillors. read more

In a commentary, author and political analyst Richard Heydarian said the stakes are higher than in any other election in recent years, with Marcos likely to reform the constitution to entrench his power if he wins, and Robredo poised to avoid a “Marcosian hegemony.” “. . read more

“Make no mistake: this is the most important election in contemporary Philippine history,” he wrote in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Written by Martin Petty; Edited by Susan Fenton

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