The Philippine elections will kick off on the 10th of this month, where a new president, vice president, a new Congress, and approximately 17,000 local officials will be elected, marking a significant "change of blood" in Philippine politics.
This election involves a nationwide rotation of officials, and since last year, there have been sporadic violent incidents related to the elections, particularly the shocking political massacre that occurred in Maguindanao province in the southern Philippines last November. Therefore, the smooth conduct of this election is of great concern both domestically and internationally.
Anti-corruption and poverty alleviation in the political agenda
The Philippine elections are conducted through direct voting, with the candidate receiving the most votes declared the winner. This year’s elections will for the first time utilize fully automated vote counting, with approximately 50 million registered voters. Currently, the top three presidential candidates in various opinion polls are Liberal Party's Benigno Aquino III, Nacionalista Party's Manny Villar, and the People Power Party's former President Joseph Estrada. They have all highlighted the fight against corruption and the elimination of poverty in their campaign platforms, reflecting the primary contradictions in Philippine society.
Benigno Aquino III, born in 1960, is the only son of the late former President Corazon Aquino. He has served as the vice chairman of the Liberal Party since March 2006. Aquino III believes that corruption is the main reason for poverty and the public's lack of trust in the government in the Philippines. He promises to focus on combating corruption, eliminating poverty, boosting the economy, promoting employment, and improving education and healthcare if elected.
Manny Villar, born in 1949, has served as both Speaker of the House and Senate President, and has been the president of the Nacionalista Party since 2004. Villar believes that widespread poverty and social injustice are the main issues facing the Philippines. He promises to work towards eliminating poverty, combating corruption, promoting social equity, and achieving economic self-sufficiency and sustainable development through agricultural reform if elected. Joseph Estrada, now 72, was elected President of the Philippines in 1998 but was forced to resign and imprisoned in 2001 due to bribery charges. In September 2007, Estrada was sentenced to life imprisonment for plundering state funds but was pardoned by the current President Gloria Arroyo in October of that year. Due to his resignation during his presidential term, Estrada was eligible to run for president again in the 2010 elections. He promises to focus on combating corruption, addressing issues caused by separatist forces in the southern Philippines, and creating a safe social environment to achieve steady economic growth if elected.
Recent polls by the Philippine polling agency "Pulse Asia" show that Aquino III has a support rate of 39%, while Villar and Estrada each have a support rate of 20%. This is the highest support rate Aquino III has achieved in the polls since the election campaign began on February 9.
Funding is crucial for campaigning
In the Philippines, running for president without sufficient financial resources is not feasible. To maximize their outreach to voters, candidates are opening personal campaign websites, placing advertisements on television and radio, using car and motorcycle convoys for street campaigning, and hiring people to post campaign posters and distribute flyers and promotional materials on the streets.
During this year’s campaign period, various campaign advertisements can be seen throughout the streets of the capital, Manila, with even roadside trees becoming "advertising platforms" for candidates: yellow ribbons on branches signify support for Aquino III, while orange ribbons indicate support for Villar.
Faced with high financial barriers, Senator Lacson, who had previously announced his intention to run, later retracted his decision, stating that reality forced him to realize that his "extremely limited resources" were insufficient to conduct a campaign. Lacson also criticized, stating: "Poverty, along with the lack of medical services, education, and security, cannot be resolved by the handouts of politicians during the campaign period."
Violence continues to occur
The Philippines became a colony of the United States in the early 20th century, was occupied by Japan during World War II, and then became a U.S. colony again after the war, shortly winning independence thereafter. After independence, the Philippines adopted a so-called "American-style democratic system." However, for decades, Philippine politics has been unable to escape the interference of family politics and gang influences, with election activities consistently overshadowed by violence. Police data shows that during the 2007 midterm elections, there were 229 incidents of election-related violence, resulting in 121 deaths and 176 injuries.
On the eve of this election, violent activities remain rampant. In addition to sporadic violent incidents causing casualties in some areas, the most shocking was the political massacre that occurred in Maguindanao province in November 2009, where 57 people, including politicians and journalists, lost their lives, marking one of the worst political massacres in Philippine history.
To curb election violence, the Philippine military and police have implemented a six-month gun ban nationwide starting January 10 of this year, establishing approximately 3,500 checkpoints. From April 15, the Armed Forces of the Philippines entered a blue alert status, collaborating with police forces to increase checkpoints nationwide and conducting armed patrols with vehicles and motorcycles to respond to potential violent incidents. After April 30, the military's security level was raised to the highest red alert status, with all personnel canceling their rest days and holidays.
Even so, election-related violence continues to occur. Statistics from the Philippine police on April 26 show that from January 10, when the campaign activities began, to April 25, there have been 27 deaths related to election violence nationwide, including town councilors, village officials, and ordinary citizens, with another 37 people injured.
