Manila, Philippines (AP)-It appears that the son of the late Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos was elected president of the Philippines as a result of a dramatic reversal of the 1986 pro-democracy “People’s Power” revolt that ousted his father.
Marco Umts. The unofficial results received more than 30.8 million votes, with more than 97% of the votes counted on Tuesday afternoon. His closest opponent, Vice President Lenny Robredo, the human rights champion, got 14.7 million votes on Monday, while boxing champion Manny Pacquiao came in third with 3.5 million.
Its candidate Sarah Duterte, daughter of the outgoing president and mayor of southern Davao city, had a noticeable advantage in a separate competition.
Dozens of anti-Marcos protesters gathered at the election commission, accusing the agency of tampering with meters and other issues preventing people from voting. According to the election administration, the impact of damaged vehicles is minimal.
A group of activists who suffered during the dictatorship said they were angry at Marco’s apparent victory and would oppose him.
“Possible victory based on outright lies, campaign of historical distortion and deception of the masses is tantamount to paving the way to victory,” the group said in the campaign against Marcos ’return and martial law. “This is unacceptable”.
Etta Rosales, a former president of the Human Rights Commission who was twice arrested and tortured during a state of war in the 1970s, said that Marco Jr.’s success was clear. tears welled up in his eyes. but this did not deter his efforts to hold Mark accountable.
“I am just one of many who have been tortured; Killed others, raped me. “We were suffering in the struggle for justice and freedom during the Marcos regime, and that is what is happening,” Rosales said.
Marco Jr. avoided. and Sarah Duterte faced unstable problems during their campaign and in return continued to steadily shout the struggle for national unity, despite their fathers opening to the presidency of some of the most exciting divisions in history of the country.
Marco Jr. did not announce victory, but thanked his supporters in a late-night video for “Addressing the Nation,” in which he urged them to remain vigilant until the vote count was completed.
“If we are lucky, I hope at least your help, at least your confidence, because we have a lot to do in the future,” he said.
Robredo did not admit defeat, but acknowledged Marco Jr.’s big advantage. in unofficial numbers. He told his supporters that the struggle for reform and democracy would not end with elections.
“People’s voices are getting louder,” he said. “On behalf of the Philippines, which I know you love dearly, we need to hear that voice, because in the end we will only have one country to share.”
He urged his supporters to continue to stand up: “Insist on the truth. Long time to present the structure of the lies. “We have the time and opportunity to fight it and dismantle it.”
The winner of the election will sit on June 30 for a six-year term as head of the country in Southeast Asia, which has been affected by the two-year explosion and closure of COVID-19 and has long been plagued. from extreme poverty, chaos inequality and political inequality.
The next president will also face requests to punish incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte for thousands of murders during his drug crackdown, the number of casualties already being handled by the International Criminal Court.
Amnesty International expressed its deep concern over the avoidance of discussions on human rights violations in the Philippines by Marco Jr. and Sarah Duterte. “If confirmed, the Marco Jr. administration will face immediate human rights challenges,” a human rights group said in a statement Tuesday.
Human Rights Watch also asked Marco Jr., if he would take the seat, to improve the human rights situation in the Philippines.
“It must declare an end to the ‘war on drugs’ that led to the extrajudicial killings of thousands of Filipinos and order an impartial investigation and proper prosecution of those responsible for these extrajudicial killings,” said Phil Robertson. deputy director of the group. For Asia.
Marco Jr., 64, former provincial governor, congressman and senator, defended his father’s legacy and firmly refused to acknowledge and apologize for widespread human rights violations and theft during his father’s rule.
After his deportation in a peaceful riot in 1986, Senior Marcos died in 1989 while in exile in Hawaii, pleading not guilty, including to allegations that he, his family and loved ones had accumulated between $ 5 billion and $ 10. Billion while in power. He was later convicted by a Hawaii court of human rights violations and awarded $ 2 billion in compensation from his estate to more than 9,000 Filipinos who filed lawsuits against him for torture, detention, extrajudicial killings. and loss.
His widow, Imelda Marcos, and their children were allowed to return to the Philippines in 1991 and worked on a spectacular return to politics that helped a well-funded social media campaign renew the family name.
Source: Huffpost
