Today, Filipino voters flocked to voting centers in anticipation of a comeback to the government of a descendant of the Marcoses, 36 years after military dictator Ferdinand Marcos was deposed in a people power revolution.
Vice President Leni Robredo is running for the presidency opposing former senator and congressman Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the only son, and successor of the authoritarian whose two-decade reign concluded in a popular uprising and his family's shameful deportation.
Approximately 18,000 positions are available for grabs, ranging from vice president to Senate and House of Representatives to mayors, governors, and council members.
Marcos, dubbed "Bongbong" by his supporters, is dominating his opponent in the presidential campaign by more than 30% points, having won every survey this year. If Robredo is to prevail, she will either need a late push or a poor vote.
Voters began forming lines well before voting began at six in the morning, with polling booths expected to be operating for longer than normal due to COVID-19 measures.
At 7p.m., the votes will finish. In addition, an unconfirmed vote count might reveal the victor within hours.
Marcos, voted in Ilocos Norte, flanked by security and relatives, including his son, who is seeking the congress. Before departing the voting booth, he was asked how the election was going and replied, "It was fine."
Marcos has not offered a policy agenda, but his administration is likely to ensure continuation from departing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose straightforward, strong personality was popular and enabled him to secure power quickly.
Sara Duterte-Carpio, his daughter, is expected to secure the vice presidency. Marcos and Duterte-Carpio are united, despite the fact that the president and vice president are elected independently.
Despite the pandemic risk, Election Commissioner George Erwin Garcia said he was surprised by the volume of voters rushing to voting stations.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) claimed it hasn't gotten any serious reports of troubles on the ground yet, but there were small voting disruptions in several districts in Mindanao's fractious southern area.
Meanwhile, unidentified gunmen shot and killed three members of a local security force near a voting booth in Mindanao's Maguindanao district.
According to media accounts, lengthy lineups were generated in certain cases by defective vote-counting devices.
Following the claims, Robredo, who voted in her native land of Camarines Sur, voiced concerns.
"I'm hoping the officials will demonstrate that they're on top of things," she told the media.
