Nation elects new leaders today

May 9 ------ The eyes of the world will be upon the Philippines today, May 9, 2022, as more than 65 million voters choose their bets for 16,385 elective posts – the foremost of which will be the country’s 17th President, succeeding President Duterte.

Divisive and highly contentious have been the campaigns for the presidential post with former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo emerging as the frontrunners, being able to marshal the most number of supporters in a duel of rallies and a battle of catch-up in pre-election surveys.

It was a divided Metro Manila when the red and green of Marcos and the pink of Robredo highlighted their respective campaigns with a miting de avance on Saturday night, May 7, 2022. Crowd estimates of as much as one million have been quoted for the UniTeam rally, held at a vacant lot adjacent to the Solaire Hotel in Paranaque City, and the Leni-Kiko tandem’s last hurrah on Ayala Avenue in Makati City.

Marcos could become the third second generation leader of the Republic of the Philippines after Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the 14th president, who is the daughter of the country’s ninth president Diosdado Macapagal, and the late Benigno Simeon Aquino III, the 15th president who was the son of People Power president Corazon Aquino (11th president). And should Robredo win, she would become the third female president of the country after Cory Aquino and Macapagal-Arroyo.

The other presidential candidates — Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Leody de Guzman, Ernie Abella, Norberto Gonzales, Faisal Mangondato, and Jose Montemayor Jr. — also mounted formidable campaigns.

And based on the same surveys, Marcos’ running-mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte has also pulled away from her closest rivals Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan. Of course, it was also a huge factor that Mayor Sara’s father – President Duterte, who will be going into his last two months as a President with the highest trust rating among previous departing presidents – had endorsed her candidacy. The other vice presidential aspirants are former Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, Dr. Willie Ong, Walden Bello, Rizalito David, Carlos Serapio, and Manny Lopez.

There are 65 senatorial candidates vying for 12 slots in the Upper House of Congress. And this early, television host Raffy Tulfo, a first-timer, is holding sway at the top in the numerous senatorial surveys, which have a diverse list of re-electionists, returning senators, and actors bringing up the rest of the top 12.

Voting today will start as early as 6 a.m., and will last until 7 p.m. with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) saying that the deadline could be extended should there be voters still waiting in-line when the cut-off time comes.

Voters have been advised to wear face masks and to observe all other health protocols when participating in the electoral process. There will be no need to present vaccination cards or to wear face shields.

A check with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) precinct finder (https://voterverifier.comelec.gov.ph/voter_precinct) will be of much help for voters so that they will know where to go to cast their votes.

For each voter, he or she would be shading as many as 39 circles. These correspond to his or her choice for President, Vice President, 12 senators, a congressman, a party-list group, a governor, vice governor, one to seven provincial board members, a mayor, a vice mayor, and four to 12 councilors.

Source: mb.com.ph