Dictator’s Son Marcos Wins by Landslide in Philippine Vote

 (Bloomberg) -- Ferdinand Marcos Jr. won a landslide victory in the Philippines presidential election, according to unofficial results, bringing his family back to power in Manila 36 years after his dictator father fled the country.

With 95% of the election returns counted, the former senator won 30.3 million votes, or 56.5% of the total votes cast for president. His closest rival, Vice President Leni Robredo, got 14.4 million votes, or 26.9%. Despite the wide margins, Marcos Jr. avoided claiming victory on Monday night even as his supporters celebrated early Tuesday in front of his campaign headquarters.

“A lot of people are saying the fight is over, but it’s not,” Marcos Jr., known as Bongbong, said in a televised speech. “Let’s wait until the 100% of votes have been counted and the victory is very clear before we celebrate.”

Robredo also didn’t concede, though she prepared her supporters for defeat in a speech in the early morning hours of Tuesday.

“The voice of the people is becoming clearer and clearer,” she said. “In the name of the Philippines that I know you also love, we need to listen to this voice because in the end we only we have one country that we share.”

While both major candidates pledged to revive the economy and boost employment, Marcos Jr., 64, drew on the support of voters comfortable with the strong-man rule of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte. His daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, joined up as Marcos Jr.’s running mate and was leading her closest rival by an even bigger margin.

Marcos Jr.’s victory would bring a measure of continuity to the Southeast Asian nation of 110 million people, along with big questions about how he’ll rule. Although he has pledged to carry on with Duterte’s policies, it’s uncertain how he’ll handle a decades-long investigation into his family’s wealth, U.S.-China ties and economic policy.