JAKARTA - Ferdinand Marcos Jr won a surprising victory in Monday's Philippine presidential election, the first victory by a majority since the 1986 revolution that toppled his late father's two-decade dictatorship.
Unofficial tallies show Marcos, known as 'Bongbong', has surpassed the 27.5 million votes needed for a majority, setting the stage for the once-unthinkable return to power of the Marcos family, 36 years after his humiliating retreat into exile during a power 'rebellion' of people.
"I hope you will not get tired of trusting us," Marcos told supporters in remarks broadcasted on Facebook, the platform at the heart of his political strategy.
"We have a lot to do. An effort of this magnitude doesn't involve one person," he added.
Marcos Jr received 29.9 million votes, double that of Leni Robredo, vice president, with 93.8 percent of eligible votes counted, according to a General Elections Commission (COMELEC) tally.
The number of voters who participated in the Philippine presidential election this time reached around 80 percent. Meanwhile, official results are expected to be announced later this month.
The Marcos family returned from exile in the 1990s and remain a powerful force in Philippine politics, retaining influence with great wealth and broad connections.
Marcos Jr. has served as governor, congressman, and senator. His sister, Imee, is currently a senator and the mother of Imelda, an influential power broker, and widow of the late dictator, who served four terms in congress. Marcos Jr's son, Ferdinand Alexander, is poised to win a seat in Congress on Monday.
Marcos, 64, presents no real policy platform, campaigning with a simple but ambiguous message of unity.
His six-year presidency is expected to provide a continuation of Rodrigo Duterte's reign, where his ruthless and powerful approach proved popular and helped him quickly consolidate power.
Analysts expect Marcos to focus on completing Duterte's multi-billion dollar infrastructure upgrade and seek close ties with China, but some say the Philippines' existing problems of corruption and nepotism could worsen.
The big advantage for Marcos was that he secured the president's daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, as his running mate, capitalizing on her father's immense support and helping Marcos make inroads in the new constituency.
Unofficial tallies show Duterte-Carpio has won the vice-presidential seat with more than three times the vote of his closest opponent.
Marcos was criticized for skipping presidential debates and making several media appearances during the campaign, allowing him to limit scrutiny and control his messages through a network of influencers and bloggers who were given broad access to his events.
Monday's results show the huge impact of sophisticated social media operations aimed at young Filipinos born after the revolution, and the spread of misinformation that challenges Marcos' martial law-era history. His camp insists they are not complicit in disinformation.
It is known that the Marcos family lived a notoriously lavish lifestyle, but denied siphoning off billions of dollars in national wealth while leading what historians consider to be one of Asia's most notorious kleptocracies. Many Marcos Jr. supporters believe the past narrative of the former first family is a lie peddled by his opponents.
"We are very happy because of the wide lead... the unity really won," said Melai Ilagan, 20. "Bongbong Marcos' wish for us all to unite has come true."
Although Marcos refrained from giving a victory speech, his son, Ferdinand, said it was time to enjoy their victory.
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"We have to celebrate, because I can say we've won," he told supporters. "Let's keep BBM's promise, we will all rise again," he said referring to his father.
About 65 million Filipinos are eligible to vote for president, vice president, legislative seats and thousands of local posts from governor to mayor and city council members.
COMELEC said the election was relatively peaceful, with 15 security incidents, including three killings of security personnel in a region prone to political violence.
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