Philippines: Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Leads Presidential Candidates on Last Week Before Election

Candidates for the 2022 Philippine presidential election staged some of their final rallies this week ahead of the country’s next general election on May 9, which will see Filipinos not only elect a new president but also vote for thousands of national and regional government posts, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

“Philippine presidential candidates were in the provinces on Tuesday [May 3] to drum up more support as the campaign entered its homestretch, in an election that has shaped into a two-way race between Ferdinand Marcos Jr and old rival Leni Robredo,” Reuters observed on May 3.

The news agency referred to the results of the latest Philippine presidential candidate survey by Pulse Asia, which was conducted from April 16 to April 21 among 2,400 respondents. The Philippine pollster asked respondents, “If the coming May 2022 elections were held today, whom would you vote for as president of the Philippines?”

The survey found that of the respondent pool, 56 percent supported Ferdinand Marcos Jr.; 23 percent backed current Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo; seven percent championed boxer-turned-senator Manny Pacquiao; and four percent preferred Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso.

The same Pulse Asia survey revealed that Sara Duterte, the daughter of current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, was the Philippines’ favorite candidate for its vice presidency as of mid-April as she captured 55 percent of respondents’ hypothetical votes. The Philippine presidency and vice presidency are voted on separately during general elections.

Sara Duterte served as the mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. Davao City is the Philippines’ third-most populated city and is located on the island of Mindanao. Rodrigo Duterte served as Davao City mayor off and on for several years before leaving the post to successfully run for the Philippine presidency in 2016.

Philippine law prohibits the nation’s president from serving more than a single, six-year term in office, making Rodrigo Duterte ineligible to seek a second term as president. Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly stated that he will not endorse a presidential candidate for this year’s general election. He reiterated this stance on May 2, according to Reuters.

Campaigning for the 2022 Philippine general election ends on May 7 ahead of an official election day on May 9.

“Politicians … from across the Philippines are vying for 18,180 elective positions in the 2022 national and local elections. These include 77 national posts and 18,103 for local positions,” the Manila-based news website Rappler reported on April 10.

“At least 65.7 million registered voters are expected to go out and vote on May 9 for the 2022 Philippine elections (aside from the 1.8 million overseas voters),” according to Rappler.