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MANILA, May 9 (Reuters) – The Philippines votes on Monday in its most divisive presidential election in decades, with the prospect of a once unthinkable return to rule of the Marcos family, 36 years after they were toppled in a “people power” uprising.

The election pits Vice President Leni Robredo against former senator and congressman Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of a dictator whose 20-year rule ended in a public revolt and his family’s humiliating retreat into exile.

Opinion polls put Marcos, popularly known as “Bongbong”, leading his rival by over 30 percentage points, having topped every poll this year. That means Robredo will need a late surge or low turnout if she is to win the presidency.

Marcos, 64, has presented no real policy platform but his presidency is expected to provide continuity from outgoing leader Rodrigo Duterte, whose ruthless, strongman approach proved popular and helped him to consolidate power rapidly.

Robredo, 57, a former human rights lawyer and staunch liberal, has pledged to improve education and welfare, fight poverty and improve market competition if elected.

Polls open at 6 a.m. (2200 GMT Sunday) and close at 7 p.m. (1100 GMT Monday) and an unofficial vote count could give an indication of who is the winner a few hours later.

Marcos is buoyed by a cult-like following of younger Filipinos born after the 1986 revolution, having launched a massive social media offensive in an upbeat campaign that has carried undertones of historical revisionism. nL3N2WU0CF

His supporters and social media influencers have dismissed narratives of plunder, cronyism and brutality under the martial law of his late father as lies peddled by opponents, presenting what his critics say is a different version of history. The Marcos camp has denied running misinformation campaigns.

Despite its fall from grace, the Marcos family returned from exile in the 1990s and has since been a powerful force in Philippine politics, retaining its influence with vast wealth and far-reaching connections.

The vote also presents an opportunity for Marcos to avenge his acrimonious loss to Robredo in the 2016 vice presidential election, a narrow defeat by just 200,000 votes that he sought unsuccessfully to overturn.

‘VICTORY OF UNITY’

Mass rallies took place across the capital Manila on Saturday in a festival-like finale to the campaigns. nL2N2WZ09N

Marcos has steered clear of debates and has campaigned on a message of optimism and unity, on Saturday telling hundreds of thousands of supporters that he dreamed of a “victory of unity of the entire Philippines”.

Robredo promised supporters better education, healthcare and public services if elected.

“It’s our right to have a future with dignity and it’s our job to fight for it,” she said, to chants of “Leni, Leni”.

A game-changer in the election could be vice presidential running mate Sara Duterte-Carpio, the incumbent president’s popular daughter, who could transfer some of her father’s huge support to Marcos. The president has not endorsed any candidate.

About 65 million Filipinos are eligible to vote to decide on a successor to Duterte after his six years in power.

Also up for grabs are about 18,000 posts, from seats in the senate and congress to mayors, governors and councillors. nL3N2WU11J

In a commentary, author and political analyst Richard Heydarian said the stakes are higher than any other election in recent years, with Marcos likely to overhaul the constitution to entrench his power if he wins, and Robredo in a position to prevent a “Marcosian hegemony”. nL3N2WX0TG

“Make no mistake: This is the most consequential elections in contemporary Philippine history,” he wrote in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

(Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by Susan Fenton)

((martin.petty@tr.com; +66896070413))

Recasts, changes media slug, adds comments from police and military

MANILA, May 8 (Reuters) – The Philippine police and military said on Sunday they were on high alert as last-minute preparations continued for the country’s general election, even as the overall situation remained “relatively peaceful”.

Filipinos vote on Monday to choose President Rodrigo Duterte’s successor, a vice president, 12 senators, hundreds of congressmen and thousands of governors, mayors and provincial and city councillors.

The presidential race is a rematch between Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the country’s late dictator, and Leni Robredo, the human rights lawyer who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice presidential contest. nL3N2WX12Q

Three months of divisive campaigning ended on Saturday, with Marcos and Robredo making final bids to sway undecided voters with patriotic, upbeat messages. nL2N2WZ09N

Duterte did not endorse a presidential candidate, but his party backs frontrunners Marcos and his running mate, Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio.

“We are ready for any contingencies,” Armed Forces chief Lieutenant General Andres Centino told a media briefing with police officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Vicente Danao and senior election commission officials.

“We are committed… to ensure that we have a secure, accurate, free and fair elections tomorrow.”

Political violence, cheating allegations and vote-buying marred previous elections in the Philippines. But the police said they have recorded far fewer poll-related offences than in the 2016 general election and 2019 mid-term polls.

“Hopefully we can maintain this tranquillity up to the last day of our electoral process,” Danao said.

Philippine National Police spokesperson Jean Fajardo told another briefing the pre-election situation was “relatively peaceful”, with 16 election-related offences, including shootings in Nueva Ecija and Ilocos Sur provinces.

Voting will be longer than usual to accommodate COVID-19 safety measures.

Guia Morris, principal at Jacinto Zamora Elementary School in Manila, said they have spent weeks cleaning and disinfecting the rooms where voting will be done.

“The teachers are all prepared, and they attended orientation and seminars about the election,” she said.

(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz and Yuddy Cahya Budiman; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and William Mallard)

((enrico.delacruz@tr.com))

MANILA, May 8 (Reuters) – Philippine police said on Sunday the country’s overall situation ahead of the May 9 general election remained “relatively peaceful”, despite some shooting incidents and other poll-related offences that they consider to be isolated.

Filipinos will vote on Monday to choose President Rodrigo Duterte’s successor, a vice president, 12 senators, hundreds of congressmen, and thousands of governors, mayors and provincial and city councillors.

The presidential election is shaping up as a rematch between Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the country’s late dictator, and incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo, the human rights lawyer who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice presidential contest. nL3N2WX12Q

Three months of divisive campaigning ended on Saturday, with Marcos and Robredo making last-ditch bids to sway undecided voters with patriotic, upbeat messages. nL2N2WZ09N

“One day before the conduct of the actual election, we are considering our preparation and the situation as relatively peaceful,” Philippine National Police Spokesperson Jean Fajardo said in a media briefing.

The police have recorded 16 election-related offences since the campaign season began, including two cases of shooting incidents between supporters of rival local candidates in Nueva Ecija and Ilocos Sur provinces, she said.

“These are good indicators, these are good numbers,” Fajardo said, comparing the police data with the 133 recorded cases during the 2016 general election and the 60 recorded cases during the 2019 mid-term polls.

The police have also recorded more than 3,000 arrests related to the election ban on the carrying of firearms, also substantially lower because of what Fajardo described as an intensive campaign to confiscate loose firearms that could be used by private armed groups.

Saturday’s final campaign push ended without Duterte endorsing any presidential candidate, but his political party is backing Marcos and Duterte’s daughter Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is Marcos’s running mate.

Both remained comfortably ahead of their rivals, based on opinion polls. nL3N2WU0CF

(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

((enrico.delacruz@tr.com))

Recasts with speeches from candidates, adds details from rallies

By Neil Jerome Morales and Lisa Marie David

MANILA, May 7 (Reuters) – Crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in the Philippines on Saturday where the leading presidential candidates made a last-ditch bid to sway undecided voters with patriotic, upbeat messages after a divisive election race.

Fireworks lit up the sky as singers, celebrities and social media stars took to stages across the capital Manila ahead of the election on Monday, which pits Vice President Leni Robredo against frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the notorious late dictator who ruled the Philippines for 20 years. nL3N2WU0SN

If opinion surveys are accurate, Robredo, 57, will need a late surge, or low turnout to win the presidency, with Marcos, a former congressman and senator, leading her by over 30 percentage points, having topped every poll this year. nL3N2WU0CF

The two embody a political chasm that has existed more than four decades, with Robredo’s roots in the movement that led a 1986 “people power” uprising that toppled the elder Marcos, and Marcos Jr on the cusp of an almost unthinkable return for the once disgraced first family.

Marcos cast his campaign as a chance to bridge that divide.

“We will reach the day that when we join forces, when we again face the world and shout to our friends and wave our flag, we will be proud to say we are Filipinos,” Marcos told a roaring red-shirted crowd that waved national flags.

Opponents of Marcos say the presidency is the endgame in a years-long effort to change historical narratives of authoritarianism and plunder that have dogged his family, which despite its fall from grace remains one of the wealthiest and most influential in Philippine politics.

Marcos Jr has been criticised for his lack of a policy platform and for dodging debates and media appearances, a strategy that has minimised scrutiny and allowed him to generate support on social media among voters born long after his father’s rule.

BITTER RIVALRY

Monday will be a rematch of the 2016 vice presidential election which Marcos looked set to win, before losing by just 200,000 votes to Robredo. He alleged cheating and fought hard to overturn the result, which the Supreme Court upheld. nL3N2WX12Q

“This fight is not about one person or candidate. I am just a vehicle of the love that engulfs Filipinos,” Robredo told hundreds of thousands of supporters at a rally that turned swathes of the city’s business district pink, her campaign colour.

If the election reflects the opinion polls, Marcos, 64, could be the first Philippines president to be elected with a majority vote since the end of his father’s rule.

“I am so happy because he’s close to taking office as the next president. I am sure of that, as long as there’s no cheating,” said Marcos supporter Emma Montes, 43, a household helper, after attending Marcos’ rally.

About 65 million Filipinos are eligible to cast ballots on Monday to decide on the successor to President Rodrigo Duterte after six years in power, plus thousands of other posts, from lawmakers and governors to city mayors and councillors.

Christian Dave Palero, 22, a call centre agent dressed in a pink jacket, said he still believed Robredo had a chance to triumph.

“We’re exhausted but we’re happy and fulfilled,” he said. “We are confident Leni can win.”

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Lisa Marie David; Additional Reporting by Jay Ereno, Adrian Portugal and Eloisa Lopez; Editing by Martin Petty)

((neiljerome.morales@thomsonreuters.com; +632 8841 8914))

By Lisa Marie David and Neil Jerome Morales

MANILA, May 7 (Reuters) – Philippines presidential candidates geared up for final rallies on Saturday to galvanise support and win over undecided voters, two days from an election plagued by misinformation campaigns and the rekindling of a bitter rivalry dating back decades.

Up to 65 million Filipinos are eligible to cast ballots on Monday to decide on the successor to President Rodrigo Duterte after six years in power, plus thousands of other posts, from lawmakers and governors to city mayors and councillors.

A two-horse presidential race has emerged between Vice President Leni Robredo and frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of a strongman whose two-decade rule ended with his overthrow in a 1986 “people power” uprising. nL3N2WU0SN

Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in the capital Manila at rallies for Robredo and Marcos, braving the scorching afternoon heat hours before candidates were due to arrive.

The location of Robredo’s rally was symbolic, held along Ayala Avenue, where a huge march took place in 1983 after the assassination of senator Benigno Aquino, an icon of the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.

The rally exuded a festival-like atmosphere, where supporters in bright pink, Robredo’s campaign colour, handed out ice cream, drinks, T-shirts and flags.

“Robredo has helped many people and they appreciate her,” said Mary Ann Ileto Fernandez, who was celebrating her 27th birthday at the rally.

“While many people do not openly show support, we know they will vote for her.”

If opinion surveys are accurate, Robredo, 57, will need a late surge, or a low turnout if she is to win the presidency, with Marcos, a former congressman and senator, leading her by over 30 points having topped every poll this year. nL3N2WU0CF

If that deficit holds, Marcos, 64, could be the first Philippines president to be elected with a majority vote since the end of his father’s rule.

Marcos Jr was due to address what was expected to be a huge crowd at a casino resort alongside Manila Bay, which his camp said was an event to show appreciation for an outpouring of public support.

Marcos’s lead has been attributed to his team’s astute use of use of social media to reach younger voters, to discredit Robredo and present what political experts say is a counter narrative to historical accounts of his father’s rule. Marcos recently praised his father as a “genius”. nL3N2WX0ZF

Monday will be a rematch of the 2016 vice presidential election which Marcos had also looked set to win, before losing by just 200,000 votes to Robredo. He fought hard to overturn the result, which the Supreme Court upheld. nL3N2WX12Q

Saturday’s rallies are expected to collectively draw hundreds of thousands of supporters, with candidates using celebrities and social media influencers personalities to energise supporters.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales and Lisa Marie David; Additional Reporting by Jay Ereno, Adrian Portugal and Eloisa Lopez; Editing by Martin Petty)

((neiljerome.morales@thomsonreuters.com; +632 8841 8914))