Marcos Jr on course for big win as Philippine presidential election campaigning ends

Latest polls show son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos leading his closest rival, Leni Robredo, by 33 percentage points

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 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

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 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

Final polls from the Philippine presidential election are showing the son of former leader Ferdinand Marcos heading for a landslide win.

Victory in Monday's election would cap a decades-long effort to rehabilitate the Marcos legacy after the former dictator was deposed and the family chased into exile in the US.

But the prospect of Ferdinand Marcos Jr moving back into the presidential palace has alarmed rights activists, church leaders and political analysts who fear he could rule "without constraint".

Ten candidates are vying to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte in the contest regarded by many as a make-or-break moment for the country's democracy.

The Marcos family's remarkable journey from pariahs to the peak of political power has been fuelled by public anger about corruption and poverty.

Polls indicate Mr Marcos Jr will win more than half the vote, which would make him the first presidential candidate to secure an absolute majority since his father was ousted in 1986.

Analysts say such an outcome would lead to weaker democratic checks and balances, more corruption and a new attempt to overhaul the 1987 constitution — which could include scrapping the one-term limit for presidents.

"If he wins really big, that could give him the kind of confidence and momentum to more radically alter the Philippines' political system," analyst Richard Heydarian said.

Previous administrations, including Mr Duterte's, have tried to amend the constitution but lacked sufficient support in Congress to push through the changes.

The latest poll by Pulse Asia Research showed Mr Marcos Jr on 56 per cent — 33 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival Leni Robredo, who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice-presidential race

Such a winning margin would give Mr Marcos Jr the power to "govern the way Duterte wanted to", one long-time observer of Philippine politics told AFP.

"That is, without constraint," he said.

Ms Robredo, 57, has warned supporters that the "future of the country" is at stake.

Her recent poll bump has raised hopes among progressive supporters that their volunteer-driven campaign could yet deliver an upset.

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

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

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 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

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

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

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

Leni Robredo speaking to supporters at the event. EPA

But pollster Ana Maria Tabunda of Pulse Asia Research said there was little chance of that.

"Our error margin is only plus or minus two percentage points — given the large gap, it's not going to be affecting the results," Ms Tabunda said.

Allegations of dirty tricks marred the last week of a bitter presidential campaign, as Mr Marcos Jr issued a warning about vote-rigging while Ms Robredo accused him of being a liar.

Monday's winner only needs to get more votes than anyone else.

"I think this election is very important ... our next six years of life will depend on it," said Charmaigne Ang, 18, a first-time voter who was among thousands of people gathered in Manila's financial district for a rally by Ms Robredo on Saturday.

Still smarting from his 2016 loss, Mr Marcos Jr has run a tightly controlled campaign, skipping televised debates with rivals and largely shunning media interviews to avoid own goals before election day.

He has instead posted folksy videos on YouTube that seek to present him and his wealthy family as regular Filipinos, and fielded easy questions from celebrity interviewers.

A large and well-funded social media misinformation campaign targeting a mostly young electorate with no memory of his father's violent and corrupt rule has also sought to rewrite the family's history.

Mr Marcos Jr's popularity has been further enhanced by a formidable alliance with vice-presidential front-runner and first daughter Sara Duterte, and the backing of several rival political dynasties.

Days before the election, rights defenders and many Catholic priests made a final push to stop Mr Marcos Jr returning to the Malacanang Palace, where he grew up.

"It will be another six years of hell," warned political satirist and activist Mae Paner, 58, who was part of a popular uprising that ended the elder Marcos's regime and has been campaigning for Ms Robredo.

Hundreds of priests publicly endorsed Ms Robredo and her running mate Francis Pangilinan, telling their congregations that the election was a "battle for the soul" of the nation.

But Ms Robredo faces an uphill battle, said Cleve Arguelles, an assistant lecturer in political science at De La Salle University in Manila.

After enduring six years of attacks from the elder Duterte, Ms Robredo has witnessed her popularity hammered by a relentless and vicious online smear campaign.

Mr Heydarian said her late decision to enter the race had cost valuable time, while "unnecessary infighting" among rival candidates had benefited Mr Marcos Jr.

"They are handing this on a silver platter to the princeling of Philippine politics, Bongbong Marcos," he said, using Mr Marcos Jr's nickname.