The Philippines' "most important" election affects the Asia-Pacific region, and Singapore media: The new president of the Philippines may adjust relations with China and the United States

Source: Global Times

[Xiao Yan, Chen Kang, special correspondent of the Global Times in the Philippines] Voting in the Philippine general election officially began at 6 a.m. local time on the 9th. As of 00:00 local time on the 10th, according to the Philippine Star, in the 75% of the votes that have been counted, the son of former Philippine President Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (hereinafter referred to as "Little Marcos") won more than twice as many votes as its main competitor, the current Vice President Leni Robredo, and achieved an overwhelming advantage. The election has been called the most important election in the Philippines in nearly 40 years. The Philippines is currently at its "most vulnerable moment" facing enormous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, severe poverty and unemployment, hyperinflation due to soaring oil and gas prices and intensifying political divisions at home, the Associated Press said. Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao said that the new President of the Philippines or adjust relations with China and the United States will affect the situation in the Asia-Pacific region, but many Filipino people hope to develop economic relations with China.

Election situation "relatively calm"

According to Reuters, the vote began at 6 a.m. on the 9th and ended at 7 p.m. Many people lined up early in the morning at polling stations. Garcia, commissioner for the Philippine Election Commission, said that although the covid-19 epidemic is still not over, he was caught off guard by the large number of voters pouring into the polling stations early in the morning. "The long lines of voters who came to the polls were spectacular. Filipinos want their voices heard by voting. ”

At 7:20 a.m., Little Marcos voted in his hometown of Batak, in the province of Ilocos do Norte. Around noon, Robredo and the other candidates also voted in their hometowns. The Philippine election is an all-in-one election that will elect a total of 18,100 positions. In addition to the president and vice president, there are 12 senators, 253 house members, 81 governors, 782 provincial legislators, 1634 mayors and 13558 city councilors.

On the 9th, Philippine presidential candidate Marcos Jr. voted at a polling station in his hometown of North Ilocos.

In order to ensure a smooth and orderly vote, the Philippine government dispatched more than 100,000 military and police officers to maintain order on the scene, in addition to 12,000 police officers on standby to deal with emergencies. The Philippine military said on the same day that an election polling station in Bruan City, Magendanao Province, in the south of the Philippines, was attacked that morning, resulting in the death of three military police. In addition, the town of Dadou Wensai and the city of Sharif Aguak in the province had 5 grenade explosion attacks the night before (8th), injuring at least 8 people.

However, Philippine officials said the overall situation in the election was "relatively calm.". Reuters said that in the Philippines' previous elections, there have often been cases of violence, cheating allegations and bribery. In response to the election, Philippine police said there were far fewer violations related to the election than in the 2016 and 2019 midterm elections. Philippine police spokesman Fagaldo said on the 9th that overall, the situation in the general election was "relatively calm", with only 16 election-related violations.

"Presidential Ii Generation" vs. "Pink Wave"

"'Presidential Second Generation' vs. 'Pink Wave'", Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao said, the most high-profile candidate in this Philippine presidential election is of course Marcos Jr., the son of former President Marcos. His partner, the vice presidential candidate, is Sarah, the eldest daughter of incumbent President Duterte, and the two "second generation presidents" have joined forces. This also means that Marcos and Duterte, the two major political families, will further consolidate their power in the Philippine political arena.

At the same time, Robredo set off a "pink wave" in the Philippines. Robredo took part in protests against then-President Marcos in the 1980s. In 2016, Robredo narrowly defeated Marcos Jr. while running for vice president. She opposed the current president, Rodrigo Duterte, on many occasions, and repeatedly criticized the "anti-drug campaign" launched by Duterte and "violated human rights.".

According to The New York Times, the election has been called the most important election in the Philippines in decades. The election will shape the Philippines' "very fragile democratic direction and change its relationship with the United States and China." According to the report, the biggest challenge facing Marcos jr. at present is the family burden he carries. In the election, Marcos Jr. was labeled "son of a dictator", and his father Marcos was forced into exile in the United States due to corruption and dictatorship during his tenure, which led to mass protests.

Filipinos vote based on their own experience and interests. Maricris, who works as a fitness instructor at a gym in Manila, carries a pink sports backpack these days, said in an interview with the Global Times that it was to support Robredo (whose campaign color is marked by pink). Maricris, who went to college, said Robredo had lectured at her university and that her political views favored the middle class. However, when the reporter recently took a taxi, most of the drivers he met supported Marcos Jr. A driver named Joseph said that the golden age of philippine economic development occurred during the term of the elder Marcos, and he supported Marcos Jr. because he hoped that it could restore the economic growth of the Philippines and allow ordinary people to find jobs.

Possible adjustment of relations with the United States and China

The Philippine election has attracted the attention of the Asia-Pacific region. CNN said that after the election, the Philippines may adjust its relations with the two major powers, the United States and China, which will change the balance of power in Asia. Since Duterte took office, the Philippines has embarked on a path of friendship with China, and its relationship with longtime diplomatic partner, the United States, is no longer as close as it once was. The report quoted Koranzik, a senior fellow in Southeast Asian affairs at the American Institute of Foreign Affairs, as saying: "The United States will certainly invest a lot of energy in building relations with the new leader of the Philippines." For the United States, the Philippines is of vital strategic importance. ”

Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao said that it is unclear whether or to what extent Marcos will copy Duterte's pro-China policy, but there are signs that The Attitude of Marcos will be similar to That of Duterte in dealing with the South China Sea. However, Heydarian, a professor of political science at the Philippine Institute of Technology, was quoted as saying that marcos Jr. may also be favored by a certain contract, because many Filipinos hope that the new president will come up with a more pragmatic but firmer attitude toward China than Duterte. "As for Robredo, she can't have a confrontational policy toward China, because the reality is that most Filipinos, even the military, recognize the Philippines' limitations in confronting China," Heydarian said. And many Filipinos want to develop economic ties with China. ”