Philippine Presidential Election: Son of Late President Ferdinand Marcos Dominates

Filipino voters cast their ballots for the President at a polling station in Manila on May 9, 2022. Photo: AFP/VNA

A total of 37,211 polling stations across the country opened at 6 a.m. local time and are expected to close at 7 p.m. There are an estimated 65.7 million eligible voters. Filipinos will also elect the vice president, 12 senators, more than 300 members of the House of Representatives and more than 17,000 local officials.

Presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., 64, son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, will vote in his hometown in Ilocos Norte province, northern Luzon. His rival, Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo, 57, will vote in Naga City, Bocol region, southern Luzon.

Meanwhile, Philippine police said at least eight people were injured in a series of grenade explosions on the night of May 8 in the southern province of Maguindanao, just ahead of the country's general elections. Security forces said four explosions occurred in the town of Datu Unsay and another in the town of Shariff Aguak. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks. Authorities are investigating other areas considered security hotspots.

“The system is fully operational,” acting spokesman for the Election Commission John Rex Laudiangco said before voting began. The official said the situation in the region was under control and voting continued as planned.

According to a Pulse Asia survey released on May 2, Mr. Marcos Jr. has a support rate of 56%, a large gap compared to the support rate of 23% for candidate Robredo. However, analysts say that candidate Robredo can still make a surprise because there is still a possibility that voters change their minds at the last minute, and the polls may not fully reflect the support for this candidate.