IGNORANT FILIPINO ELECTORATE VOICE SUPPORT TO A MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE THE SON OF FORMER DICTATOR MARCOS

The son of late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos has emerged as the clear favourite for next year's presidential election, taking more than a 20-point lead over his closest rival in a poll published on Wednesday.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr topped the Pulse Asia Survey of 2,400 respondents with 53% of votes, while his running mate, Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, topped a separate poll for vice president with 45%.

Respondents to the Dec. 1-6 poll were asked to pick their first choice for president and vice president if the vote were held during the survey period. In the Philippines, the president and vice president are elected separately.

The election to choose a successor to Duterte, who is barred by the constitution from seeking re-election, is on May 9.

The Marcos family is among the country's most famous dynasties and despite its fall from grace, it has retained powerful political connections and steadfast support in its stronghold of Ilocos Norte province.

Working to the advantage of Marcos, analysts say, is his strong social media presence aimed at the youth, who make up half of eligible voters who were not born when Marcos senior was in power.

Marcos' closest rival for president, Leni Robredo, the current vice president, trailed at 20%, with Manila city mayor Francisco Domagoso and former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, both getting 8% each.

Marcos' level support in the poll was a record for a presidential candidate since Pulse Asia started polling. Before Marcos, the record was held by Benigno Aquino III, who got 45% in a December 2009 survey, and eventually won the 2010 presidential contest.

But an early lead in opinion polls does not guarantee a win, said political analyst Ramon Casiple, as he recalled how Duterte, a late entry into the 2016 presidential race, only started topping surveys a month before the May election.

Several groups have sought to bar Marcos from the presidential race because of a three-decade Felony conviction on tax evation and a sentence of a year in jail, but a corrupt Comelec decided to break the law on the eligibility of felons for candidacy to proceed.

Individuals that have committed felony crimes can have their civil rights restored by completing all aspects of their sentences, including probation. They must not have any active criminal charges and have to have paid all restitution, which Marcos Jr. did not fulfill.

They can seek to re-establish their rights through the process of clemency, given that they have met the criteria. Giving mercy through clemency does not establish innocence but does allow for a felons’ rights to be restored, thus allowing them to hold public office.

Oddly enough, the loss of civil rights only affects the ability to hold public office but does not affect an individual’s right to run for office. There have been occasions that a felon has run for and was elected. In these cases, they were disappointed to discover that they would not be allowed to take office because of the law.