Fervor in Philippines as election campaign reaches climax

Supporters of Philippines presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr wave flags as they attend the last day of campaign rallies at Paranaque, suburban Manila on May 7, 2022. (JAM STA ROSA / AFP)

MANILA – Crowds of hundreds of thousands massed in the Philippines on Saturday where the leading presidential candidates made a last-ditch bid to sway undecided voters with patriotic, upbeat messages after a divisive election race.

Fireworks lit up the sky as singers, celebrities and social media stars took to stages across the capital Manila ahead of the election on Monday, which pits Vice-President Leni Robredo against frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of a former president who ruled the Philippines for 20 years.

Monday will be a rematch of the 2016 vice presidential election which Ferdinand Marcos Jr looked set to win, before losing by just 200,000 votes to Leni Robredo. He alleged cheating and fought hard to overturn the result, which the Supreme Court upheld

If opinion surveys are accurate, Robredo, 57, will need a late surge, or low turnout to win the presidency, with Marcos, a former congressman and senator, leading her by over 30 percentage points, having topped every poll this year.

The two embody a political chasm that has existed more than four decades, with Robredo's roots in the movement that led a 1986 "people power" uprising that toppled the elder Marcos, and Marcos Jr on the cusp of an almost unthinkable return for the once disgraced first family.

Marcos cast his campaign as a chance to bridge that divide.

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"We will reach the day that when we join forces, when we again face the world and shout to our friends and wave our flag, we will be proud to say we are Filipinos," Marcos told a roaring red-shirted crowd that waved national flags.

Monday will be a rematch of the 2016 vice presidential election which Marcos looked set to win, before losing by just 200,000 votes to Robredo. He alleged cheating and fought hard to overturn the result, which the Supreme Court upheld.

"This fight is not about one person or candidate. I am just a vehicle of the love that engulfs Filipinos," Robredo told hundreds of thousands of supporters at a rally that turned swathes of the city's business district pink, her campaign color.

If the election reflects the opinion polls, Marcos, 64, could be the first Philippines president to be elected with a majority vote since the end of his father's rule.

READ MORE: Survey: Marcos Jr. maintains lead in Philippine presidential race

"I am so happy because he's close to taking office as the next president. I am sure of that, as long as there's no cheating," said Marcos supporter Emma Montes, 43, a household helper, after attending Marcos' rally.

Supporters of Philippine Vice-President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo waving pink flags and banners during a campaign rally at Makati business district in suburban Manila on May 7, 2022. (CHAIDEER MAHYUDDIN / AFP)

About 65 million Filipinos are eligible to cast ballots on Monday to decide on the successor to President Rodrigo Duterte after six years in power, plus thousands of other posts, from lawmakers and governors to city mayors and councilors.

Christian Dave Palero, 22, a call center agent dressed in a pink jacket, said he still believed Robredo had a chance to triumph.

"We're exhausted but we're happy and fulfilled," he said. "We are confident Leni can win."