FILIPPIJNEN
Marcos is koploper voor vervanging Duterte op Filippijnen
May 9, 2022 - Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the namesake and only son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, is the clear frontrunner in the race to replace populist president Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines.
Marcos, 64, is a former governor, congressman and senator who has 56% support in the most recent opinion poll. His main rival, Leni Robredo, the opposition leader and only female candidate, has 23% support.
Marcos family’s name and history is deeply divisive. The family plundered billions of dollars from the state, and the imposition of martial law in 1972 marked one of the darkest periods in the country’s history.
Marcos Jr was 28 years old when his father was toppled by the 1986 People Power Revolution. The family was forced to flee the Malacañang Palace and went into exile.
Since returning to the Philippines in 1991 from exile, the Marcos family has sought to rebuild an image tainted by the elder Marcos' often brutal rule.
Marcos Jr. picked Sara Duterte-Carpio, Duterte’s daughter, as his candidate for vice president, a move that analysts say has helped enhance his popularity.
On May 9 around 67.5 million Filipinos will go to the polls to decide who should be president.