Son of ousted Philippine dictator headed for landslide victory in presidential election


Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son of the dictator who stole billions of dollars in public funds during his two decades as president, is on track to become the next president of the Philippines, The New York Times reported Monday.
By early Tuesday morning, more than 90 percent of the ballots had been counted, and Marcos had reportedly received more than twice as many votes as his closest competitor — incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo.
Robredo previously defeated Marcos in the 2016 vice-presidential election.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 64-year-old scion poised to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte, who is constitutionally limited to a single term, served as a regional vice governor and governor during his father's dictatorship. The Marcos family was exiled from the Philippines when the elder Marcos was overthrown in 1986 but was allowed to return to the country in 1991. Since then, Bongbong has served as a regional governor, member of the country's House of Representatives, and senator.
Last month, The Washington Post reported that the younger Marcos owes much of his popularity to "a years-long, carefully crafted campaign to rewrite history, harnessing the power of social media to blur the lines between fact and fiction." According to the Post, "fun, hip, glossily edited content" glorifying the Marcos dictatorship has proliferated on YouTube and TikTok.
Bongbong's running mate, Sara Duterte — the mayor of Davao city and the incumbent president's daughter — is also on track to win the separate election for vice president.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities