'Bongbong' Marcos Thanks Supporters as Polls Show Him Poised to Claim Philippine Presidency

Storyful

Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bonbong” Marcos thanked supporters late Monday, May 9, hours after initial election results showed he was poised to become the country’s next president.

In a video streamed live to Facebook, Marcos, known as “Bongbong,” said that while the count was not over, he was issuing a “statement of gratitude” to his “thousands” of supporters.

The former senator is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 until he was deposed in 1986.

According to preliminary figures cited by Rappler, with 98 percent of precincts reporting, Marcos had over 58 percent of the vote. Credit: Bongbong Marcos via Storyful

Video Transcript

BONGBONG MARCOS: So that the count is not yet done. It's not yet over.

[SPEAKING TAGALOG]

But I wanted to issue a short statement. And essentially, it's a statement of gratitude to all of those who have been with us in this long and sometimes very difficult journey for the last six months. I want to thank you for all that you have done for us.

There are thousands of you out there, volunteers, parallel groups, political leaders that have cast their lot with us because of their belief and our message of unity, because of their belief in the candidates.

[SPEAKING TAGALOG]

[APPLAUSE]

Any endeavor as large as this does not involve person. It involves very, very many people working in very, very many different ways. And to all of them, I thank you. And let us keep watch on the vote.

[SPEAKING TAGALOG]

[APPLAUSE]