Election in the Philippines: dead in attack on polling station

Three people have been killed in an attack on a polling station in the Philippines. This is reported by local authorities. The big favorite in the presidential election is the son of the former dictator Marcos.

The presidential elections in the Philippines have begun, overshadowed by violent attacks. Attackers opened fire on a school used as a polling station on the island of Mindanao. According to the police, three security guards were killed and a fourth injured. Another attack with a grenade injured nine people on the island.

Mindanao in the south of the island state is a safe haven for numerous armed groups, ranging from communist insurgents to militant Islamists.

High turnout expected

Police and military had previously been put on standby because elections in the Philippines are often overshadowed by violence, deadly attacks and allegations of fraud. More than 60,000 security forces are deployed to protect ballot papers and poll workers.

Turnout is expected to be high among the more than 65 million eligible voters. Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte declared Election Day a public holiday so that as many people as possible could vote. Polling stations in the Philippines close at 7 p.m. local time (1 p.m. CEST). The first results are expected on the evening of the election or on Tuesday morning. In addition to the head of state, thousands of local posts will also be re-elected.

Observers warn of Marcos’ return

There are ten candidates in total. The big favorite is the son of the long-time dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who died in 1989. In recent polls, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was 56 percent well ahead of his rival – incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo. Should Marcos win, his family would return to Malacañang Palace in the capital, Manila, 36 years after their expulsion.

Political observers warn that the Southeast Asian island nation could steer in an even more authoritarian direction under the leadership of 64-year-old Marcos. The Marcos regime under Ferdinand (1917-1989) and his eccentric wife Imelda (now 92) made a name for itself with murder, torture and the kidnapping of political opponents. The two are said to have diverted billions from the state coffers over the years.

The daughter of the incumbent president and candidate for vice president, Sara Duterte, said she hoped voters would not be “disenfranchised” by the violence. Marcos Junior recently warned against election rigging – his supporters should prevent “another theft of the election”.