Marcos Jr heads for landslide

Millions of Filipinos thronged primary schools and other polling stations on Monday to elect a new president, with the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos the clear favourite to win the high-stakes election.

Nearly 40 years after the corrupt patriarch was deposed by a popular revolt and the family chased into exile, Ferdinand Marcos Jr is set to complete their remarkable comeback from pariahs to the peak of political power.

Ten candidates are vying to succeed Rodrigo Duterte in elections seen by many as a make-or-break moment for the nation’s fragile democracy.

But only Mr Marcos Jr and his rival Leni Robredo, the incumbent VicePresident, have a credible chance of winning.

Turnout was expected to be high among the more than 65 million Filipinos eligible to vote. “The long lines are magnificent. Filipinos wanted to be heard and heard loudly,” said George Garcia of the Commission on Elections.

At the end of a bitter campaign, opinion polls showed Mr Marcos – who is widely known by his nickname Bongbong – heading towards a landslide victory, with a double-digit lead over Ms Robredo in the latest surveys.