There are a lot of moving parts with
these elections, and it all adds to the
political intrigue. The main races are
for President and Vice President.
But it works a bit differently from
other countries because the votes are
separate. So candidates can stand
together as a team, but they don't have
to. And they may not even end up in power
together anyway.
There are
congressional elections happening too
and President Duterte is running for a
seat in the senate. It's a way for him to
stay in politics, because his six-year
presidential term is up and he can't run
again.
Now when it comes to the race for
president, right now there are really
four main candidates.
First up, Ferdinand Marcos Jr who also
goes by the nickname "Bongbong."
He's the son of the late dictator
Ferdinand Marcos, and one of the front
runners.
Manny pacquiao, the world famous boxer is
also in the ring. He's been a senator
since 2016, but this time he's up for the
top job and is promising to fight
corruption.
Then
there's Isko Moreno.
He's a former teen idol who's now Mayor
of the capital, Manila and a self-styled
centrist. And he hasn't lost his moves.
Isko Moreno is very active on social media. He
dispenses medical advice and medical
stories in his youtube account. And
finally, Leni Robredo.
She's the current Vice President but has
been sidelined by Duterte.
And in this election she's actually seen
as the main opposition candidate. She's
been pushing for human rights and is
someone who would signify political
change if she won.
But that's a big if. Because in the past
that platform hasn't been very
successful.
But here's one
big twist. The current president's
daughter is also part of the story. Sara
Duterte-Carpio is the Mayor of Davao
city. At one point the polls had her as
the favorite to replace her father, and
many expected her to run for president.
But she didn't. Sara decided to run for
vice president under a different party,
and she allied herself with "Bongbong"
Marcos.
With
Sara Duterte and "Bongbong" Marcos, you've
got the latest installment of a
long-running political saga. Their
families have swung between supporting
and opposing each other for decades.
All the way back to the 1980s, when
Rodrigo Duterte's mother was a leading
figure in the revolution that got rid of
Ferdinand Marcos senior.
Now,
for outgoing president Rodrigo Duterte,
political allies are going to be
important. And that's another feature of
these elections, because Duterte is
facing investigations for his signature
policy. What he called his 'war on drugs.'
It was a violent campaign to crack down
on crime, targeting everyone from big
gangs to drug users.
And the police were encouraged to shoot
to kill.
Official figures show that more than 8,000
people were killed, but the
Philippines Human Rights Commission and
other rights groups say the real number
is much higher - more like 27,000. Because
it wasn't just the police, it was
vigilante killings too. There are people
in groups inside and outside the
Philippines pushing for accountability
and justice. Including Maria Ressa, the
journalist who just won the Nobel Peace
Prize for her work to expose human
rights abuses. As well as the
International Criminal Court which has
launched an investigation. Many people
see Duterte's run for a senate seat as a
way for him to retain political
influence and protect himself.
Now one thing that
surprises a lot of people, particularly
outside the Philippines is that despite
Duterte's 'war on drugs' and all those
thousands of people killed -
he's still popular. He has a 67%
satisfaction rate
And this is relevant when we think about
who's most likely to succeed him.
It explains why "Bongbong" Marcos is a
leading contender, because he's seen as
the same type of strong charismatic
leader as the outgoing president.
"Bongbong" Marcos is playing up the idea that the time
when his father was in power, was a kind
of golden era that he wants to restore.
But the era of Marcos
senior was a time of military
dictatorship and martial law. Marked by
corruption, brutality, hardship and the
extravagance of the Marcos family. You
might have heard of Imelda Marcos, the
former first lady, and her three thousand
pairs of shoes.
But here's another twist. The electoral
commission could still bar "Bongbong"
Marcos because of an old conviction for
tax evasion.
Now, winning the presidential popularity
contest is one thing.
Another is doing the job.
Just how well the
different candidates fit that
description is of course a matter of
opinion. But there's everything to play
for.
And most experts agree, the political
drama is nowhere near over. It's still
anyone's game