Based on the polls, Ferdinand Marcos jr. is winning the election with an avalanche. The race will be held in practice between him and the country’s current vice president, Leni Robredo.
9.5. 07:33 • Updated May 9th. 07:47
In Southeast Asia, the Philippines is voting for a new president today. The resigning president Rodrigo Duterten a total of ten candidates are applying for the seat.
The clear pre-favorite of the presidential race is Ferdinand Marcos Jr.The late dictator of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcosin son.
In addition to Marcos, only the current vice president of the country is seen as a chance to win Leni Robredolla.
Ballot boxes opened at local time in the morning and voting is scheduled to end at 7 p.m. The time in the archipelago state is five hours ahead of Finland.
Marcos Jr. left his voice in the northern town of Batac, where the bomb dogs checked out the polling station before the presidential candidate arrived with his younger sister and eldest son. They were followed by the family’s fabulous matriarch and the widow of the former dictator, 92 years old Imelda Marcos.
Vice President Robredo, for his part, voted in Magarao in central the country.
Turnout is expected to rise high
After the campaign period, polls have indicated that Marcos Jr. is winning the election by a landslide. He has significant leadership in Robredo and a vice president’s victory would require either weak voting enthusiasm or a last-minute flood of votes.
However, the turnout is estimated to be high in advance. There are more than 65 million people entitled to vote.
In the Philippines, it is enough for a candidate to win more votes than others.
Since Robredo announced his candidacy last October, volunteer groups have sought to persuade voters to support the vice president in what they see as a “battle for the soul of the country.”
The white washing of the corrupt regime of Elder Marcos, the support of rival elite families, and the general disappointment with the post-dictatorship regimes of Marcos have fueled the popularity of Marcos Jr.
Violence overshadows election day
Election day was overshadowed by a grenade attack late Sunday. In the southern Philippines, five grenades exploded outside a polling station and nine people were injured.
Police said on Monday that the victims had walked from their remote mountain villages to the polling station to cast their vote.
– It is their custom to come down in time from their villages, which are an 8-12 hour walk away, said a police spokesman Roldan Kuntong.
Election times have traditionally been unstable in a country where arms laws are loose and political culture is violent. However, according to police, the current election period has been relatively peaceful.
The grenade attack took place at Datu Unsay on the island of Mindanao. There are several armed groups in the area, including Islamists and communist rebels.
Minutes later, a grenade also exploded in nearby Shariff Aguak, but personal injuries were avoided.
Police: Relatively few election-related “cases”
The election commission says its representative is trying to make sure Sunday’s grenade attacks are linked to the election.
Daughter of the outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, who is running for Vice President Sara Duterte told reporters he hoped the violence would not deprive voters of their right to vote. The younger Duterte has served as mayor of the city of Davao on the island of Mindanao.
More than 18,000 positions are being sought in the election. In addition to the President, the election elects city councilors, among others.
Thousands of police, soldiers and members of the Coast Guard have spread throughout the archipelago to ensure the safety of polling stations and voting.
According to a national police spokesman, as of 9 January, there had been 16 “confirmed election-related cases” by Sunday, including four shootings and a “small illegal detention.”
For example, there were 133 similar cases during the 2016 presidential election.