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What you need to know about the crucial 2022 Philippine election

The Philippine presidential candidates. From left to right: Senator Manny Pacquiao, Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, former senator Ferdinand "Bongbonb" Marcos Jr., Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso.

Photo via ABS-CBN News

By Ina Sugay

On May 9, 2022, the Philippines will have a crucial election to choose their next president. This election also decides the vice president, 12 senators, 300 seats for the House of Representatives and 18,000 local positions. The main presidential candidates are Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo, retired boxer Manny Pacquiao, Manila mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, and former police chief Panfilo Lacson. The most popular candidates are Bongbong Marcos and Leni Robredo.

Vice President Leni Robredo

Photo via Rappler

The current Vice President Leni Robredo announced her candidacy on October 7, 2021. She is an advocate for women’s empowerment, human rights, and putting an end to labour contractualization and systems that directly target those living in poverty. Her office led the country’s COVID-19 pandemic response and relief operations. Over the last year, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) has worked towards making basic necessities, decent housing, healthcare and adequate education more accessible. They also built one mental health facility and provided some assistive resources for patients. Robredo created an anti-poverty program called Angat Buhay (English: Uplift Lives), which has helped 341,779 families and 381 communities across the Philippines. Before she entered public office in 2013, she was a lawyer that focused on helping marginalized people and groups. Writer for the Inquirer, Rosauro Rodriguez described Robredo as “a true servant leader who has been hands-on and has taken risks, sharing responsibility and authority and continuously building and strengthening communities down to the grassroots level.” Filipino social media influencer, Bretman Rock, has also openly shared his support for Robredo through his Instagram.

Ferdinand Marcos and his family before being exiled to the United States.

Photo via NPR

The other most popular candidate, Bongbong Marcos, is the son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled under martial law from 1972 to 1981. His 21 years in power have been described as “corrupt”, “extravagant” and “brutal” by numerous experts and journalists. He supported authoritarianism and has been called a kleptocrat, someone who uses their political power and position to steal their country’s resources. The Marcoses stole about $5-$10 billion U.S. dollars, according to Transparency International and The Diplomat. In 1986, a snap election was rigged, causing Ferdinand Marcos to win the presidency again. In protest, millions of people gathered in what is now known as the People Power EDSA Revolution. The Marcoses were exiled to Hawaii shortly after. Ferdinand Marcos died there in 1989 from lupus.

Former senator Bongbong Marcos, son of dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Photo via BBC News

Now, the infamous dictator’s son is running for president. Bongbong Marcos has openly expressed his support for the current president, Rodrigo Duterte, and intends to continue his campaign of anti-insurgency. Duterte is well-known for his brutal war against drugs that has been responsible for the deaths of over 25,000 Filipinos, according to BBC News. One voter expressed that they are voting for Bongbong Marcos “because his father is still the greatest president we had” and that “not even Duterte can match Marcos.”

Bongbong Marcos is a popular candidate among voters under 30 years of age, according to Time. The people in this age group were not born when his father was in power and therefore know very little about his tyranny. Additionally, the Philippine educational system has failed to teach the history and impact of the Marcos dictatorship. Bongbong Marcos’ campaign team has taken advantage of social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok and Facebook to gain popularity among these young voters. Assistant professor of communication research at the University of the Philippines, Fatima Gaw, says that it is “almost impossible” to identify propaganda and fake news on such platforms.

Another possible reason why Marcos is so popular is because, according to a survey conducted from 2002 to 2014, Filipinos believe that authoritarian governments improve the economy. Political sociologist Louie Montemar said, “In general, Filipinos accept democracy as a theoretical construct and a romantic ideal but still have a fundamental cultural tendency toward authoritarianism.” However, according to Richard Heydarian, a professor of political science and an Asian geopolitics expert, it is unlikely that Marcos will follow in his father’s footsteps of authoritarianism. Rather, his candidacy is the family’s “final step in [their] grand scheme to resume power in the Philippines”, according to The Diplomat. Marcos’ main promise is that he will use “unifying leadership” and set politics aside in order to revive the country’s economy.