As the Philippines votes, the Marcos family hopes to return to power.
In the Philippines, millions of people are queuing across the islands to vote for their next president.
Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son of the country’s previous dictator, is widely expected to win the president.
According to polls, he is likely to win by a landslide, implying that the Marcos clan, which was deposed 36 years ago by a popular uprising, might restore power.
His major opponent is Leni Robredo, a liberal who narrowly defeated Marcos for vice president in 2016.
However, surveys have regularly shown the Marcos heir with a 30-point lead throughout the campaign.
The nation’s 67.5 million eligible voters are anticipated to turn out in large numbers, with many lined up before daybreak on Monday to vote.
Some voters at a school in Manila told the BBC that they were having problems inserting their voting papers into the counting machines. Others claimed they were told to leave their ballots with booth workers.
The Inquirer reported that over 1,800 machines out of tens of thousands had malfunctioned in the morning, but that the election commission had “fixed” them by midday.
“There will always be suspicions of anomalies,” Comelec Commissioner George Garcia told the BBC previously, “but there have been no substantial breaches so far.”
He also stated that there have been “limited” allegations of violence and that “the police are in complete control of the situation.”
A grenade attack occurred outside a voting place on Sunday.
Whoever wins Monday’s presidential election will succeed Rodrigo Duterte, a hardliner whose six-year reign is coming to an end.
Mr. Duterte’s administration has been chastised for its harsh anti-drug and anti-crime policies, despite the fact that the administration has always denied any wrongdoing.
Critics also claim that democratic institutions have been attacked during his president, citing the closing of Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN, a channel that has enraged Mr Duterte in the past, as well as the closure of other independent media sites.
Who are the contenders?
Bongbong Marcos, 64, is the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled the Philippines for 21 years.
He and his family, including his mother Imelda, voted at a school polling station on Monday.
During Ferdinand Marcos’ presidency, he declared martial law and seized control of the country’s courts, companies, and media. Thousands of dissidents and political opponents were detained and tortured by the army and police.
Mr Marcos, his wife Imelda – known for her expensive luxury clothes – and his associates stole an estimated $10 billion (£8.1 billion) from the government. In the People’s Power Revolution of 1986, he was thrown out due to public outrage over his reign, and he died soon after.
Bongbong resumed his political ambitions after his family’s return from exile in the 1990s, using his family’s wealth and connections to become a province governor, congressman, and senator.
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He appealed his loss to Ms. Robredo in the 2016 vice-presidential election, vowing that he will not be “cheated” this time.
Sara Duterte, the sitting president’s daughter, is his running mate. The two have promised to “unify” the country, but throughout their election rallies, they barely talked policies.
Ms. Robredo is a former human rights lawyer who has long opposed Duterte’s drug war and gender injustice.
Her campaign motto is “Honest governance, a better life for all,” and she has promised to fight corruption.
Her rallies have recently attracted large crowds, notably among motivated, mostly young “Pink Shirt” fans who began door-to-door canvassing campaigns to win her votes.
In polls, the other contenders have been trailing Marcos and Robredo. Manny Pacquiao, a boxing star and national idol, has promised to fight corruption and poverty, and Isko Moreno, the mayor of Manila, has promised infrastructure spending and a tougher stance on China.
Are there any fears about the election?
Critics claim that the election was marred by widespread misinformation on social media.
Richard Heydarian, a politics professor at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, “I have described it as a quagmire of falsehood, and it simply gets worse every election cycle.”
Bongbong has disputed charges that he is using the internet to whitewash his family’s past. Despite significant criticism, his campaign continuously portrays his father’s rule as a fictitious “golden period” for the country.
He has also avoided discussions and venues where he might be subjected to independent questioning.
Tracker organizations have noticed an increase in internet activities attacking and vilifying Ms. Robredo with misogynistic remarks.
Past Philippines elections, according to the Asian Network for Free Elections, were usually free and fair.
When might we expect to see results?
Polls will be open until 19:00 (1100 GMT) local time, though this could be extended due to Covid limits or if voters are still in line. Many people are voting while wearing masks.
Filipinos will vote for the president, vice president, senators, lower house members, and thousands of lower-level officials across the archipelago’s 7,600 islands.
A turnout of around 80% is projected, similar to past elections.
The counting will begin as soon as the polls shut, and it may be obvious in a few hours which candidates are leading. However, as was the case in 2016, the process could take days before a winner is revealed.
