Tomorrow, Philippines presidential election

Ten candidates are vying to succeed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the election round tomorrow (May 9). About 67.5 million Filipinos aged 18 and over were eligible to vote this year, along with about 1.7 million people from the Filipino diaspora registered abroad.

Polling stations will open at 6 am (local time, 5 am Hanoi time) and close at 7 pm. The time has been extended because of COVID-19 prevention conditions.

After the voting period ends, the counting of votes is conducted immediately and the candidate with the most votes wins. There is no second round of elections, so the name of the new president will be announced a few hours later. The inauguration of the new president will take place in June.

Besides the presidential race, Filipinos also choose a new vice president, members of Congress, governor and thousands of local officials.

Among the candidates, the son of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Marcos Jr is predicted to win a resounding victory according to the results of the polls.

Mr. Marcos Jr. studied sociology at Worth School in England and Oxford University. He entered politics in Ilocos Norte in 1980 and served as governor of the province.

In 1992, he was elected to parliament in Ilocos Norte. In 2010, he was elected as a senator. He was convicted of tax evasion and unsuccessfully ran for vice president.

During this campaign, Marcos Jr talked about “unity” but did not share much about policies and avoided appearing in the media.

His partner is Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of Duterte, who has taken over as mayor of Davao City and is leading the race for vice president.

The second potential presidential candidate is Leni Robredo, the current Vice President of the Philippines and head of the opposition. Robredo, also a human rights lawyer, entered politics relatively late in 2013 after her husband – a minister – was killed in a plane crash.

Thousands of people attended her rallies, which focused on her messages of good governance, democracy and an end to corruption. Other candidates include boxer Manny Pacquiao, Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and former police chief Panfilo Lacson.