Written by Charmaine Laya
Published May 12, 2022
Different countries zero in on the Philippines during the 2022 national election period. As the day of the elections, May 9, neared, international news organizations published content related to the Philippine elections. Stories featured and compared the campaign activities and backgrounds of two Philippine presidential candidates, incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
Uneasiness of the east
News content from Thailand, Japan and South Korea are some of the countries in the east that covered content about Marcos.
An article by Thai PBS World was published on February 8 with the headline, “Philippines kicks off chaotic election campaign season.” It highlighted the controversies regarding Marcos Jr., mentioning his tax evictions and the alleged ill-gotten wealth of their family.
Japan Times published a front-page article with the headline, “Marcos may control hunt for riches” dated May 5, 2022. The article focused on how the presidentiable could recover about $10 billion in plunder.
“As president, Marcos would hold sway over the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) which is devoted to investigating and recovering the Marcos family’s wealth,” the Japan Times article stated.
Worries of the west
Western publications also reported on how disinformation in the Philippines favored Marcos Jr. and how it could affect the country’s economy.
Bloomberg reported that the value of Philippine currency would decline as investors are uncertain of his policy issues.
According to Bloomberg, “While Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. is favored by 56% of respondents in a survey conducted from April 16 – 21 by pollster Pulse Asia Research Inc., he scored the second lowest in a Bloomberg poll of investors.”
TIME featured how social media app TikTok played a role in Marcos Jr. 's campaign and in rewriting Philippine history. The article interviewed a pro-Marcos TikTok creator who believed that the allegations against the Marcos family about their ill-gotten wealth is false.
“In truth, the Philippine Supreme Court ruled in July 2003 that the $658 million in deposits made by Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda into Swiss bank accounts and foundations was unlawfully acquired,” TIME stated.
On social media, Filipinos shared mixed reactions on the particularly negative views on Marcos Jr. given by these news agencies.
However, as of May 11, Marcos leads in the presidential race based on the partial and unofficial count of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
While the Philippines awaits its new president, the world is also watching.
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