Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed victory in the Philippine presidential election on Wednesday, promising to be a leader “for all Filipinos,” according to his spokesman.
In a statement, Vic Rodriguez stated, “To the world, he says: Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions.”
According to preliminary results, Marcos Jr. has nearly 56 percent of the vote, more than double that of his nearest challenger, liberal Leni Robredo.
The victory represents a stunning turnaround in the Marcos family’s fortunes, which have gone from presidential palace to pariahs and back in the span of a few decades.
After a misinformation-filled campaign, voters were expected to endorse Marcos by a landslide in Monday’s election.
For years, pro-Marcos accounts have swamped social media, leading many young Filipinos with Facebook education to believe his father’s administration was a wonderful age of peace and wealth.
During his corrupt dictatorship, Marcos Sr. bankrupted the Philippines and murdered, tortured, and imprisoned tens of thousands of opponents.
Since his dictator father was removed from office and his family sent into exile in 1986, Marcos Jr. is the first presidential contender to earn an outright majority of votes.
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