Marcos Jr. asks world not to judge him by his family's past as he claims victory in Philippines election
(CNN) Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he had won the 2022 election in the Philippines on Wednesday, saying "people were talking loudly," according to a statement from his spokesman.
Known in the Philippines as Bongbong, Marcos Jr., the son of the late dictator of the same name, has vowed to be "the president of all the Philippines," said his chief of staff, Victor Rodriguez.
With 98% of the vote, Marcos Jr. received 31 million votes, compared to his closest rival, Vice President Lenny Rabredo, who resigned, receiving about 14 million, showing partial unofficial results.
"Historians have used their democratic voices to unite our nation," the statement said. "This is a victory for democracy for all Filipinos. For those who voted for Bongbong, for those who did not, he promises to be president for all Filipinos. Find common ground between political differences Õ¡Õ·ÕÕ¡Õ¿ work together to unite the nation. «
Marcos Jr. campaigned on a universal platform, promising more jobs, lower prices, more investment in agriculture, and infrastructure.
At a post-election press conference, Marcos Jr. said he intended to "go down to the country", adding that the selection of a team to lead the economy would be one of the most important first steps.
"As you can imagine, economic managers will be in a critical situation over the next few years due to the economic crisis, which we are following very closely," he said.
If the victory is confirmed, the Marcos family will return to power more than 30 years after the popular revolution overthrew the regime of Elder Marcos in 1986, when he fell out of favor and fled the country. Marcos Sr., whose 21-year reign was marked by human rights abuses and widespread corruption , died three years later in exile in Hawaii, but his family returned to the Philippines in 1991 to become wealthy, powerful politicians, and later members of their own dynasty. . Ilaki Norte.
Analysts say the rise of Marcos Jr. is the culmination of a long effort to transform the Marcos family's name into an image, most recently through a large-scale social media campaign.
While Mark Jr. linked his campaign to his father's legacy with the slogan "Rise Up," Mark Jr. urged the world to judge him by his actions, not his family past.
"He tells the world. "Do not judge me by my ancestors, judge me by my actions," Rodriguez said in a statement.
Rabreda, who said he would not back down until the election violations were confirmed, urged his supporters to accept the results of the May 9 elections.
"Whatever the outcome, let us accept it, as it will bring us a greater force that can unite us," Rabredo said during a Thanksgiving service at Nagy Temple in the capital, CNN Philippines reported .
He announced the rally of his supporters on May 13.
Former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao Ö„Õ¡Õ²Õ¡Ö„Õ¡ÕºÕ¥Õ¿ Manila mayor's former actress Isca Moreno resigned on Tuesday.
Hundreds of protesters, including students and members of progressive groups, gathered outside the Philippine Electoral Commission in the capital, Manila, on Tuesday, holding placards chanting slogans against Marcos in what they called election violations.
The Electoral Commission (Comelec) on Tuesday denied allegations of electoral fraud .
Critics of Marcos Jr. are outraged by what they see as a bleaching of Philippine history, an attempt by Marcos's family to abuse his father's dictatorship, and a retelling of corruption.
According to human rights groups, tens of thousands of people were imprisoned, tortured, or killed during the 1972-1981 period of martial law under Marcos the Elder. The Presidential Commission for Good Governance (PCGG), which is tasked with recovering illegally acquired family property, is estimated to have stolen about $ 10 billion from Filipinos. Dozens of cases are still in progress.
The Marcos family has repeatedly denied that it violated martial law, using state funds for personal gain. Activists say Marcos has never been fully brought to justice, and victims of martial law are still fighting for justice.
Marcos Jr.'s partner in the presidency is Sara Duterte Carpia, the daughter of populist leader Rodrigo Duterte.
While many of his policies are unclear, Marcos Jr. is expected to continue Duterte's infrastructure policy, his controversial "war on drugs."
The partial unofficial results show that Duterte Carpia will win the vice-presidential race, which is elected separately from the presidential race.
On Wednesday, Marcos Jr. said he would appoint Duterte Carpio as education minister, saying he was "a mother who wants to make sure her children are well-educated, well-educated, that's the best motivation we can hope for." :
Their appointment must be approved by the country's appointment commission.