MANILA — The son of late Philippine dictator
Ferdinand Marcos was set to address hundreds of thousands of supporters Saturday on the
final day of presidential election campaigning, as polls showed him heading
towards a landslide win.
اضافة اعلان
Victory in Monday's election would cap a decades-long effort
to rehabilitate the Marcos legacy after the patriarch was deposed and the
disgraced clan chased into US exile.
But the prospect of Ferdinand Marcos Jr moving back into the
presidential palace has alarmed rights activists, church leaders and political
analysts who fear he could rule "without constraint".
The Marcoses' remarkable return from pariahs to the peak of
political power has been fuelled by public anger over corruption and poverty
that persisted under governments that followed the dictatorship.
Hundreds of thousands of red-clad Marcos supporters on
Saturday amassed on a dusty wasteland overlooked by a gleaming luxury casino
resort — a stark reminder of the country's vast income gap.
Wielding national flags, they gathered before a stage
featuring an enormous screen of the smiling candidate as Filipino reggae, hip-hop
and pop played at deafening levels.
Mary Ann Oladive, a 37-year-old call center worker, said she
hoped Marcos Jr would bring unity to the country.
"We hope for greater opportunity and jobs. We trust
him, we hope that after the election they will give us a better future in the
Philippines," she said.
'Without constraint'
Ten candidates are vying to succeed
President Rodrigo Duterte in the landmark elections seen by many as a make-or-break moment for
Philippine democracy.
Polls indicate Marcos Jr will win more than half the votes,
which would make him the first presidential candidate to secure an absolute
majority since his father was ousted in 1986.
Analysts warn such an outcome would lead to weaker
democratic checks and balances, more corruption and a fresh attempt to overhaul
the 1987 constitution — which could include scrapping the one-term limit for
presidents.
Previous administrations, including Duterte's, have tried to
amend the constitution but they lacked sufficient support in Congress to push
through changes.
The latest poll by Pulse Asia Research showed Marcos Jr on
56 percent — 33 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival Leni Robredo, who
narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice-presidential race.
Such a winning margin would give Marcos Jr the power to
"govern the way Duterte wanted to", one long-time observer of
Philippine politics told AFP.
"That is without constraint," he said.
Robredo's recent poll bump has raised hopes among
progressive supporters that their volunteer-driven campaign could yet deliver
an upset.
There was a carnival atmosphere in the capital's financial
district on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of Robredo fans wearing her pink
campaign colour and waving flags and balloons packed out avenues, dancing to
live Pinoy pop blaring over loudspeakers.
In a rousing speech, Robredo told her supporters there was
"always hope" and declared "victory awaits us".
First-time voter Charmaigne Ang, 18, said the election was
"very important".
"Our next six years of life will depend on it,"
Ang, 18, told AFP. "Surveys are not a basis of who will win."
But pollster Ana Maria Tabunda of Pulse Asia Research gave
Robredo little hope.
"Our error margin is only plus or minus two percentage
points — given the large gap, it's not going to be affecting the results,"
Tabunda told AFP.
Bitter campaign
Allegations of dirty tricks marred the last week of a bitter
presidential campaign, as Marcos Jr warned of vote-rigging while Robredo
accused him of being a "liar".
Marcos Jr has run a tightly-controlled campaign, skipping
televised debates with rivals and largely shunning media interviews to avoid
own goals before election day.
A massive and well-funded social media misinformation
campaign targeting a mostly young electorate with no memory of his father's
violent and corrupt rule has also sought to rewrite the family's history.
Marcos Jr's popularity has been further enhanced by a
formidable alliance with vice-presidential frontrunner and first daughter Sara
Duterte, and the backing of several rival political dynasties.
Days ahead of the election, rights defenders and many
Catholic priests made a final push to stop Marcos Jr returning to the
Malacanang Palace, where he grew up.
"It will be another six years of hell," warned
political satirist and activist Mae Paner, 58, who was part of a popular
uprising that ended the elder Marcos's regime and has been campaigning for
Robredo.
Hundreds of priests endorsed Robredo and her running mate
Francis Pangilinan, telling their flocks the election was a "battle for
the soul" of the nation.
But after enduring six years of attacks from the elder
Duterte, Robredo has seen her popularity hammered by a relentless and vicious
online smear campaign.
Political analyst
Richard Heydarian said Robredo's late
decision to enter the race had cost valuable time, while "unnecessary
infighting" among rival candidates had benefited Marcos Jr.
"They are handing this on a silver platter to the
princeling of Philippine politics, Bongbong Marcos," he said, using Marcos
Jr's nickname.
Read more Region and World
Jordan News