By: Aditeya Das
The unorthodox candidates of the Philippines elections.
The Philippines election is not something that is broadcast all over the world. Not many people know who the people running are. Not many people see it broadcasted all that much. However, this year, the list of candidates for the upcoming elections is not conventional candidates. There is a UFC champion, a former dictator’s son, and an actor all running for the top spot.
Our first candidate in this presidential race is Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr, who many may know as Bongbong. Bongbong is very famous in the Philippines solely because he is the son of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos was regarded as a dictator due to his signing of Proclamation no. 1801, placing the Philippines under martial law. This law prevented free press and free speech, enraging domestic human rights organizations such as OpenGlobalRights and even the citizens of the Philippines.
Along with this, he also used violence and oppression to shut down political opponents and activists fighting against him. 49 years and one day after the signing of Proclamation no. 1801, Bongbong announced his candidacy for President. Almost immediately, he faced a lot of backlash from human rights groups, with OpenGlobalRights member Cristina Palabay saying, “The Marcoses remain scot-free from jail, they haven't returned all the money that they got from the nation's coffers. Now they are making a comeback for the highest position in the land, that is just plain, shameless gall”.
The second person that is being mentioned is Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao is regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, being the only man ever to hold world titles in eight different boxing divisions in his 26-year career. It is evident that whilst his boxing skills are unquestionable, his skills as a politician are not of the highest caliber. Pacquiao was first elected to the Philippines senate in 2016. Many believe that however, During his time as a senator, many believe that he was quite unimpressive, due to his strange comments on sensitive topics such as the death penalty, which he defended by invoking the bible. Sources say that the main factor keeping Pacquiao as a contender in this election is his popularity among the poor because he was born into a very low-income family and grew up to become a boxer who puts a lot of money into helping Filipinos in poverty. However, factors that have decreased his popularity are his controversial words about the LGBTQ community and his lack of political experience. 2021 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Maria Ressa even stated, ‘Whoever will become President next will have real problems to deal with, and they’re going to have to have competent people to deal with it’.
People in the photo from left to right: Bong Bong Marcos, Mayor Isko moreno, Senator Manny Pacquiao Source: photos by AP, Reuters and EPA/Jij
The third person is Manila Mayor Fransisco Domagoso, more commonly known as Isko Moreno. He is a famous actor, who is similarly well-known for his rags to riches story. Moreno started as an actor as said before, and then moved into politics as the city counselor of Manila in 1998. From there he was elected as vice mayor of Manila, and then became Mayor in 2019. He is, however, criticized for not having enough experience in the big stages because he was not a senator and that he did not have enough experience with the international community. On the other hand, he also has popularity among some of the lower class in the Philippines. This is because, just like President Duterte, he aims to rule the Philippines as a populist meaning that he wants to care more about the poorer people of the country and protect them from the elites and upper-class.
Finally, let’s conclude by talking about the favorite to win. Out of the three listed above, the current favorite to win is Bong Bong Marcos with a 15% chance of winning according to polls currently. This is simply because of his experience and ability. Unlike the other two candidates, Bong Bong is the only one who has had a much more evolved and continuous involvement with politics. He also has support from President Duterte and is even favored by the parliament. The Philippines election, although not something that stirs up a lot of global attention, is exciting and rich. Although Marcos Jr. is currently the favorite, we can wait and see who will end up being the President of the Philippines.
Sources:
https://thediplomat.com/2021/10/philippines-presidential-race-marcos-and-the-specter-of-martial-law/
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