POLITICS
Race to succeed Duterte in Philippines
May 9, 2022 - A world-famous boxer, an actor and the son of a former dictator are among the main candidates running to replace authoritarian firebrand Rodrigo Duterte as president of the Philippines.
More than 35 years after the country emerged from his father’s dictatorship, polls suggest Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is heading towards a landslide victory in the May 9 elections.
Boosted by a massive social media campaign and a formidable alliance with vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of outgoing president, Marcos Jr. has vowed to “unify the country”.
Other candidates to replace Duterte are Leni Robredo, vice-president and only female candidate, former actor and city mayor Francisco Domagoso – known by his screen name Isko Moreno – and retired boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
The stakes for the Philippines could not be higher. Once one of the fastest-growing economies in Asia, the country has been battered by the pandemic.