Articles Elections Foreign Politics

2022 Philippines Election

Rodrigo Duterte, the current president of the Philippines, rose to international fame for his harsh criticism towards other world leaders as well as God. He has one of, if not the highest approval ratings in the world, at about 90% but has been heavily criticized by the international community for his war on drugs, killing 5,000-20,000 drug personalities and his harsh criticism towards other world leaders as well as God. Aside from that, he’s seen as a hero. He has collected the biggest tax on oligarchs in Philippines’ history, increased the country’s internet speed by 200%, started over 650 infrastructure projects, and decreased crime rate in the Philippines by 63%. He has strictly enforced the laws and started disciplining the people. Unfortunately Duterte has been barred for another term so now we come to the question, will the next president do as well or even better than Duterte (aside from the human rights violations and being a critic)? 

The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections are scheduled to be held on Monday, May 9, 2022. Currently, there will be 10 candidates on the ballot for President and 9 candidates for Vice President. According to the opinion polls provided by Wikipedia, Bongbong Marcos (PFP) and his Vice President nominee Sara Duterte (Lakas), who is also Rodrigo’s daughter, is in the lead for this election by 20-40% varying per poll. In second are Leni Robredo (I) with her Vice President nominee Francis Pangilinan (L) who has also seen massive support from the public. 

In the Philippines, they elect presidents and vice-presidents separately; they do not need to be from the same party which is why there is PFP and Lakas together and an Independent and Liberal together. The Marcos-Duterte partnership is likely intended to perpetuate their respective political dynasties. Other presidential candidates include Manny Pacquiao, a former world-champion boxer who later served as a senator; Leni Robredo, the current vice president; Isko Moreno, the mayor of Manila; and Senator Panfilo Lacson. Whoever wins will likely be stressed out by COVID, poverty, inequality, foreign powers, and a faltering economy, as the Council on Foreign Relations describes this election.

By: Caleb Lee

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *