• Supporters of Philippines presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, flash the victory sign at a rally in Paranaque City, suburban Manila. AFP
    Supporters of Philippines presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, flash the victory sign at a rally in Paranaque City, suburban Manila. AFP
  • Supporters of Philippine Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo attend a campaign rally in Makati, in suburb Manila. AFP
    Supporters of Philippine Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo attend a campaign rally in Makati, in suburb Manila. AFP
  • Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Leni Robredo attend a campaign rally in Makati, in suburb Manila. AFP
    Supporters of Philippine presidential candidate Leni Robredo attend a campaign rally in Makati, in suburb Manila. AFP
  • Children take part in a campaign rally for Leni Robredo. Reuters
    Children take part in a campaign rally for Leni Robredo. Reuters
  • Supporters of Leni Robredo distribute flowers to women at a campaign rally. Reuters
    Supporters of Leni Robredo distribute flowers to women at a campaign rally. Reuters
  • Supporters of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr wave national flags in Paranaque City, suburban Manila. AFP
    Supporters of presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr wave national flags in Paranaque City, suburban Manila. AFP
  • Supporters of Mr Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte and a vice presidential candidate, display a banner with their portraits during a campaign rally in Paranaque City. AFP
    Supporters of Mr Marcos Jr and Sara Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte and a vice presidential candidate, display a banner with their portraits during a campaign rally in Paranaque City. AFP
  • Supporters of Mr Marcos Jr and Ms Duterte wave flags during a campaign rally. AFP
    Supporters of Mr Marcos Jr and Ms Duterte wave flags during a campaign rally. AFP

Philippines elections 2022: all you need to know


Tommy Hilton
  • English
  • Arabic

The Philippines will elect a new president on Monday, May 9, and voting will also be held for thousands of other positions.

President Rodrigo Duterte is unable to stand for re-election under the country’s rules, which limit presidents to a single six-year term.

More than 67 million Filipinos are eligible to vote, including about 1.7 million who live overseas, in the Middle East and elsewhere.

As polling day begins, here is all you need to know.

When are the Philippines elections?

Polling stations will be open from 6am to 7pm local time on Monday, May 9.

Voting for registered overseas Filipinos opened on April 10.

When will we know the result?

Vote counting starts immediately after polls close.

A live, unofficial count could give an indication of who has won the presidency within hours, Reuters said.

The election commission is aiming to announce the complete results by the end of May.

The winner must be inaugurated as president within seven weeks of results being announced.

Who is the favourite to become the next president?

Ferdinand Marcos Jr, also known as “Bongbong”, is currently leading the race.

Polls indicate Mr Marcos Jr is on track to secure an absolute majority with more than half the vote.

He is the son of former president Ferdinand Marcos, who ruled from 1965 to 1986. Marcos Sr ruled under martial law from 1972 to 1981 and was widely considered a dictator.

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On Monday, Mr Marcos Jr cast his vote with his mother, Imelda Marcos, who became notorious during and after the Marcos era for misusing billions of dollars' worth of public funds.

She was convicted by a court in the Philippines in 1993 and spent some time in exile in Hawaii with her family. In 1990, the Supreme Court of Switzerland ruled that funds deposited in Swiss bank accounts by Ms Marcos were of “criminal provenance.”

But this controversial history of the Marcos clan has not tarnished Mr Marcos Jr's campaign.

He is running on a platform of “unity” and has promised more jobs and greater security, though rights groups have voiced fears he could rule “without constraint”.

He is also allied to Sara Duterte-Carpio, the daughter of the departing president. She is running for vice president.

Presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr greets the crowd during a campaign rally in Quezon City, Philippines, in April. AP
Presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr greets the crowd during a campaign rally in Quezon City, Philippines, in April. AP

Who are Marcos Jr’s closest rivals?

Mr Marcos Jr’s closest challenger in the polls is Leni Robredo, the departing vice president.

Ms Robredo, who defeated Mr Marcos Jr in the 2016 vice presidential race, has been a fierce critic of both him and Mr Duterte.

Her campaign has promised transparency and economic reforms, and has been characterised by huge rallies of supporters dressed in pink, the chosen colour of her “pink revolution”.

Recent polling put her 33 percentage points behind Mr Marcos Jr.

Other challengers include the Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, and the international boxing star Manny Pacquiao, though both are trailing Mr Marcos Jr and Ms Robredo in the polls.

  • A video showing thousands of supporters filling an entire avenue and singing Ariana Grande's song 'Break Free' at presidential hopeful Leni Robredo's rally in Pasig City in the Philippines has gone viral. Getty Images
    A video showing thousands of supporters filling an entire avenue and singing Ariana Grande's song 'Break Free' at presidential hopeful Leni Robredo's rally in Pasig City in the Philippines has gone viral. Getty Images
  • Campaigning for the presidential election in the Philippines began last month, ahead of the May 9 polls, with the country's Vice President, Robredo, set for a showdown with Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr, son of the Philippines' former dictator. Getty Images
    Campaigning for the presidential election in the Philippines began last month, ahead of the May 9 polls, with the country's Vice President, Robredo, set for a showdown with Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr, son of the Philippines' former dictator. Getty Images
  • Supporters cheer for Vice President Leni Robredo at the rally. Getty Images
    Supporters cheer for Vice President Leni Robredo at the rally. Getty Images
  • Voter polls that show Marcos Jr holding a double-digit lead are being disapproved by supporters of Robredo, spawning daily rallies as they hold on to her promise of good governance and a government free from corruption. Getty Images
    Voter polls that show Marcos Jr holding a double-digit lead are being disapproved by supporters of Robredo, spawning daily rallies as they hold on to her promise of good governance and a government free from corruption. Getty Images
  • Robredo, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs, joined the race for president in October last year, promising to usher in a government that cares for the people, not personal interests. Getty Images
    Robredo, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs, joined the race for president in October last year, promising to usher in a government that cares for the people, not personal interests. Getty Images
  • Robredo narrowly defeated Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the 2016 vice presidential race. Getty Images
    Robredo narrowly defeated Ferdinand Marcos Jr in the 2016 vice presidential race. Getty Images
  • Robredo was accompanied at the event, dubbed PasigLaban, by her vice presidential candidate Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Getty Images
    Robredo was accompanied at the event, dubbed PasigLaban, by her vice presidential candidate Senator Kiko Pangilinan. Getty Images
  • Sunday's rally was an impressive show of strength for the lawyer and social activist, with the Pasig City police estimating that a crowd of 137,000 were in attendance, according to the Philippines' 'Daily Guardian'. Getty Images
    Sunday's rally was an impressive show of strength for the lawyer and social activist, with the Pasig City police estimating that a crowd of 137,000 were in attendance, according to the Philippines' 'Daily Guardian'. Getty Images
  • Ariana Grande shared videos on her Instagram stories, which showed Emerald Avenue in Pasig City, east of Metro Manila in the Philippines, filled with a sea of pink, the official colour of 2022 presidential hopeful Leni Robredo. Getty Images
    Ariana Grande shared videos on her Instagram stories, which showed Emerald Avenue in Pasig City, east of Metro Manila in the Philippines, filled with a sea of pink, the official colour of 2022 presidential hopeful Leni Robredo. Getty Images
  • Vice President Leni Robredo meeting her supporters. Getty Images
    Vice President Leni Robredo meeting her supporters. Getty Images
  • Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo's rival Ferdinand Marcos Jr's namesake father was overthrown in a 1986 army-backed uprising. Reuters
    Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo's rival Ferdinand Marcos Jr's namesake father was overthrown in a 1986 army-backed uprising. Reuters
  • Dancers performing a routine at the rally. EPA
    Dancers performing a routine at the rally. EPA
  • Supporters of Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo watch from a building window. EPA
    Supporters of Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo watch from a building window. EPA
  • Philippine presidential hopeful Leni Robredo is campaigning with senator Kiko Pangilinan as her running mate. EPA
    Philippine presidential hopeful Leni Robredo is campaigning with senator Kiko Pangilinan as her running mate. EPA
  • Leni Robredo speaking to supporters at the event. EPA
    Leni Robredo speaking to supporters at the event. EPA

Who are the other candidates?

While ten candidates filed to compete for president, the race has come down to a few main contenders — high profile figures such as Manny Pacquiao, a former boxer, are unlikely to make significant headway, while another prominent figure, Senator Ping Lacson — who has made several runs for the president role in the past, are trailing far behind.

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Who is running for vice president?

Unlike in the US, the Philippines elects vice presidents separately, though the vote is held on the same day.

Sara Duterte-Caprio is the current front-runner for the vice presidency. She is the daughter of the departing president and allied with Mr Marcos Jr.

Her main challengers are Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Leni Robredo’s running mate, Senator Francis Pangilinan.

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According to the country's 1987 constitution, the vice president is “mandated to assume the presidency in case of the death, disability, or resignation of the incumbent president," although the vice president can also take the role of a cabinet minister.

Vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Caprio waves to supporters during the first day of campaigning in Bulacan province, in February. Reuters
Vice-presidential candidate Sara Duterte-Caprio waves to supporters during the first day of campaigning in Bulacan province, in February. Reuters

Are political parties important?

Political parties are generally considered less important than personal loyalties in the Philippines.

Most candidates gain their support from personal appeal rather than a party base, and it is common for members of parliament to ally with whoever becomes president.

Can Filipinos overseas vote and how significant is their vote?

The Philippines has a large diaspora population across the world. There were 2.5 million Filipinos registered as living abroad in 2019, figures compiled by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas show.

These Filipino citizens are eligible to vote from their host countries.

About 1.7 million overseas Filipinos are registered to vote in 2022 out of the country's 67 million voters.

The country with the most registered voters is the UAE, with 290,182, followed by Saudi Arabia and the US.

More women than men are registered to vote overseas.

With inputs from Pulse Asia.

 

 

Company profile

Company name: Dharma

Date started: 2018

Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: TravelTech

Funding stage: Pre-series A 

Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs

War and the virus
hall of shame

SUNDERLAND 2002-03

No one has ended a Premier League season quite like Sunderland. They lost each of their final 15 games, taking no points after January. They ended up with 19 in total, sacking managers Peter Reid and Howard Wilkinson and losing 3-1 to Charlton when they scored three own goals in eight minutes.

SUNDERLAND 2005-06

Until Derby came along, Sunderland’s total of 15 points was the Premier League’s record low. They made it until May and their final home game before winning at the Stadium of Light while they lost a joint record 29 of their 38 league games.

HUDDERSFIELD 2018-19

Joined Derby as the only team to be relegated in March. No striker scored until January, while only two players got more assists than goalkeeper Jonas Lossl. The mid-season appointment Jan Siewert was to end his time as Huddersfield manager with a 5.3 per cent win rate.

ASTON VILLA 2015-16

Perhaps the most inexplicably bad season, considering they signed Idrissa Gueye and Adama Traore and still only got 17 points. Villa won their first league game, but none of the next 19. They ended an abominable campaign by taking one point from the last 39 available.

FULHAM 2018-19

Terrible in different ways. Fulham’s total of 26 points is not among the lowest ever but they contrived to get relegated after spending over £100 million (Dh457m) in the transfer market. Much of it went on defenders but they only kept two clean sheets in their first 33 games.

LA LIGA: Sporting Gijon, 13 points in 1997-98.

BUNDESLIGA: Tasmania Berlin, 10 points in 1965-66

Medicus AI

Started: 2016

Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh

Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai

Sector: Health Tech

Staff: 119

Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)

 

Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier

Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman

The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August

 

Group A

Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar

Group B

UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia

 

UAE group fixtures

Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran

Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait

Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi

 

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

MATCH INFO

Champions League quarter-final, first leg

Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Match on BeIN Sports

Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company

The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.

He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.

“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.

“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.

HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon. 

With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.

Friday’s fixture

6.15pm: Al Wahda v Hatta

6.15pm: Al Dhafra v Ajman

9pm: Al Wasl v Baniyas

9pm: Fujairah v Sharjah

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Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Honeymoonish
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What it means to be a conservationist

Who is Enric Sala?

Enric Sala is an expert on marine conservation and is currently the National Geographic Society's Explorer-in-Residence. His love of the sea started with his childhood in Spain, inspired by the example of the legendary diver Jacques Cousteau. He has been a university professor of Oceanography in the US, as well as working at the Spanish National Council for Scientific Research and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Biodiversity and the Bio-Economy. He has dedicated his life to protecting life in the oceans. Enric describes himself as a flexitarian who only eats meat occasionally.

What is biodiversity?

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, all life on earth – including in its forests and oceans – forms a “rich tapestry of interconnecting and interdependent forces”. Biodiversity on earth today is the product of four billion years of evolution and consists of many millions of distinct biological species. The term ‘biodiversity’ is relatively new, popularised since the 1980s and coinciding with an understanding of the growing threats to the natural world including habitat loss, pollution and climate change. The loss of biodiversity itself is dangerous because it contributes to clean, consistent water flows, food security, protection from floods and storms and a stable climate. The natural world can be an ally in combating global climate change but to do so it must be protected. Nations are working to achieve this, including setting targets to be reached by 2020 for the protection of the natural state of 17 per cent of the land and 10 per cent of the oceans. However, these are well short of what is needed, according to experts, with half the land needed to be in a natural state to help avert disaster.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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War

Director: Siddharth Anand

Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor

Rating: Two out of five stars 

The specs

Engine 60kwh FWD

Battery Rimac 120kwh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry

Power 204hp Torque 360Nm

Price, base / as tested Dh174,500 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

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Updated: May 11, 2022, 8:04 AM