Marcos Jr claims victory in Philippines election

THE son of Ferdinand Marcos claimed victory in the country’s presidential election on Wednesday, 36 years after his family was chased out of the country in a popular uprising against endemic corruption and massive human rights abuses.

With 9 of votes tallied in an unofficial count, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos r “will be the 1 th president of the Philippines,” his spokesman Victor Rodrique said in a statement.

“In historic numbers, the people have used their democratic vote to unite our nation,” Rodrique added. “This is a victory for all Filipinos, and for democracy. To those who voted for Bongbong, and those who did not, it is his promise to be a president for all Filipinos.” Marcos r leads with more than 16 million votes over his closest rival, Vice President eni Robredo, who narrowly beat him in the race to become the country’s vice-president in 2016.

Rodrigue said it was also clear that Marcos r’s running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, would become the next vice president of the Philippines, with a lead of more than 22 million votes over her nearest rival.

Only Congress can officially proclaim the winner in the presidential and vice presidential race. The Senate and the House of Representatives are scheduled to resume sessions on May 23 and start the official canvassing of the votes.

“We look forward to an earlier proclamation based on the results (of the unofficial tally,)” Rodrigue said, adding that Marcos r and his team were scheduled to meet to discuss the creation of a transition team.

When asked who Marcos r was considering for cabinet posts, Rodrigue said the 6 -year-old former senator had names in mind but had yet to form a team.