Anticipation for Philippine election builds in Manila
STORY: The vote on Monday rekindles an old, bitter rivalry that pits Vice President Leni Robredo against frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son of the notorious late dictator who ruled the Philippines for 20 years.
The two embody a political chasm that has existed for more than four decades, with Robredo's roots in the movement that led a 1986 "people power" uprising, which toppled the elder Marcos, and Marcos Jr on the cusp of an almost unthinkable return for the once-disgraced first family.
But if opinion polls are accurate, Robredo will need a late surge, or low turnout to win the presidency, with Marcos, a former congressman and senator commonly referred to as 'Bong Bong', currently leading Robredo by 30 percentage points.
Up to 65 million Filipinos are eligible to cast ballots on Monday to decide on the successor to President Rodrigo Duterte after six years in power, plus thousands of other posts, from lawmakers and governors to city mayors and councillors.
