As all the polls have advanced in recent weeks, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, son of the dictator who tyrannized the country decades ago, would have won the presidential elections held this Monday in the Philippines with an overwhelming majority. His victory certifies the return to the presidential palace of Malacañang of the same family that was expelled from there in 1986 by a popular revolution after two decades of despotic government and looting of state coffers.
According to the unofficial provisional count of the Electoral Commission (COMELEC), Marcos would have obtained almost 60% of the ballots in the running, which makes him the new president of the country for a single six-year term. His ally Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of current President Rodrigo Duterte, would also take over the vice presidency after reaping a similar result.
His data is much better than that recorded by Marcos’ main opponent, human rights lawyer and activist Leni Robredo, who barely won 30% of the vote. The remaining 10% is distributed among candidates such as the former world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao (5.3%) or the actor and current mayor of Manila, Isko Moreno (4%).
If the overwhelming victory is certified, these would be the first elections in three decades in which a candidate wins by an absolute majority in the Philippines, where the winner only needs more votes than any other to take over the head of state. As the data became known, dozens of followers gathered around his campaign headquarters to chant the name of Marcos, who is 64 years old.
The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the massive campaign in social networks and other media by the Marcoses to whitewash their past. In their messages, they insist again and again on the benefits of the government of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (1965-1986) while trying to discredit the accusations of cronyism, looting and brutality that marked his mandate or fiercely attack his opponents.
Under that dictatorship, marked by the imposition of martial law, tens of thousands of opponents were imprisoned, tortured or executed and between 5,000 and 10,000 million dollars were looted from the public treasury, money that has not yet been recovered. However, among the younger generations, especially those born after being ousted from power in 1986, the message has caught on that this was a “golden age” in which there was security, infrastructure and good international relations.
Since returning from exile in 1991, Bongbong has served as governor of Ilocos Norte province – the family fiefdom – senator and congressman. In 2016 he lost the vice presidency in a tight vote against Robredo, with only 200,000 votes difference.
Marcos has been able to win without a clear political program beyond calling for unity and confidence to get out of the crisis caused by the pandemic. During the campaign, he has tried to keep a low profile, hardly giving interviews or participating in debates with his rivals that could expose him. With a more affable profile than Duterte, who has made a violent anti-drug campaign the watchword of his mandate, it remains to be seen whether he continues his bloodthirsty politics or opts for a less ruthless approach.
Today’s election day, in which 67 million Filipinos were called to vote, was marked by long queues at schools and technical problems, which is why the closing time had to be extended in most centers voting.
According to police sources, at least four people were killed in two shootings on the southern island of Mindanao, where several explosive devices left at least nine injured on Sunday night. Acts like these are not unusual in the country during electoral processes, where the interests of the various clans that control the country’s politics often collide.
“The police are in control of the situation” and the security situation is “generally good,” they said from the Philippine law enforcement agencies. There were also some reports of vote buying or malfunctioning of the electoral machines in some schools.
In addition to the presidency and vice-presidency, 12 seats in the Senate, Congress, and numerous provincial and local positions were also up for vote today.
4
