MANILA: As they wait to cast their ballots on Monday to decide who will take over from President Rodrigo Duterte, Philippine voters are spelling out different hopes and expectations for the next six years.
About 67 million of the 110 million population of the Philippines are eligible to go to the polls.
It is not just the presidential post that will be decided, but also thousands of other positions across the country — from the vice presidency and Senate seats to 18,000 local positions, such as city mayors, provincial governors and councilors.
There are 10 contenders to take the top office from Duterte, who will reach the end of his six-year term in June and is constitutionally barred from running again.
The frontrunner in opinion polls is Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., the son and namesake of the late Philippine dictator. His biggest challenge comes from the current vice president, Leni Robredo, who defeated Marcos in his bid for the vice presidency in 2016.
Other contestants include boxing legend Manny Pacquaio, who is now a senator; Isko Moreno, a former actor and current Manila mayor; and Panfilo Lacson, a senator and former police chief.
The winning candidate’s style of leadership will be in immediate comparison with that of Duterte, who has been criticized by rights groups at home and abroad for his intolerance of dissent and violent approach to drugs-related crime — as many as 30,000 people are estimated to have been killed in his so-called “war on drugs.”
However, Duterte’s strongman image is at odds with what some voters hope to see in their next president.
“I want to change the patronage politics culture and the macho-fascist perspectives that the Duterte administration has established,” Jose Marie Eslopor, a 24-year-old activist in Iloilo province, told Arab News.
Eslopor said he would vote for Robredo, a former human rights lawyer and the only female candidate in the race. She is pushing for public sector transparency and has pledged to strengthen the country’s medical system.
Robredo is one of Duterte’s staunchest critics. Despite being the vice president, she was not his running mate — the Philippines allows split-ticket voting, which means the president and vice president are elected separately.
Eslopor said that he was hoping for “progressive policies and programs that address the needs of the working class, programs for students and improvement of social services.”
Similar hopes were shared by Romeo Carolina, a 43-year-old from Samar province. But he will vote for Marcos.
“Life is tough nowadays. Prices of commodities are so high,” said Carolina, who for the past 10 years has been working as a taxi driver.
“Perhaps BBM (Bongbong Marcos) can do something to address this. During the time of his father, the prices of electricity and even rice were cheaper. Maybe he can do something to roll back the prices.”
Marcos’ father ruled the Philippines with an iron fist for two decades, an era marred by widespread corruption and human rights abuses, and was removed from office in a popular uprising in 1986. In the decades since his ouster, outrage over his rule has faded for many Filipinos and his time in power has been portrayed by followers as an age of prosperity — a narrative his son has been sustaining.
While Marcos is running on a platform that promises continuity of Duterte’s policies — and has his daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, as his running mate — some, such as educator Kathy Ramos from Manila, hope he will advance the current government’s reforms.
Ramos said that she wants him to “focus on lessening the administrative work being done by teachers and, instead, have them proceed to their traditional tasks of teaching and educating the younger generation.”
Most Filipinos who spoke to Arab News said that they wanted the new leader to cleanse the country of corruption.
Potre Dirampatan Diampusan, a doctor from Mindanao, believes Robredo is the best-qualified candidate for the task.
“She has never been involved in corruption issues or allegations,” Diampusan said, adding that the new government “must have a heart that feels for the people, yet can have the iron fist to fight corruption.”
Cye Reyes, 50, a cancer survivor, said that she wanted a government that will “genuinely address the cancers of society like corruption and poverty.”
She added: “I dream of a government that will uphold and respect human rights, end impunity and make all government officials accountable.”
While many already know their choice, it is estimated that at least two in 10 Filipino voters make up their minds only on election day.
Among them is Geraldine Tayo, a security guard and single mother, who said that she only hopes the next administration will address the problem of unemployment.
“Honestly, I’m not even sure if I will vote,” she said. “For me, they’re all just the same.”