Marcos Jnr proclaimed next Philippine president with massive win; Duterte’s daughter is vice-president

Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was proclaimed the next president of the Philippines by a joint session of Congress on Wednesday following a landslide election triumph 36 years after his dictator father was ousted in a pro-democracy uprising.

The Senate and House of Representatives also declared that his separately elected vice presidential running mate, Sara Duterte, had won by a wide margin. She is the daughter of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, whose turbulent six-year term ends on June 30.

They will lead a nation battered by Covid-19 lockdowns, crushing poverty, gaping inequality, Muslim and communist insurgencies, crime and political divisions further inflamed by the May 9 election.

With his 92-year-old mother, Imelda Marcos, his wife, family and siblings beside him, Marcos Jnr’s hands were raised by the Senate president and House speaker to applause from the audience, which included diplomats.

“I’m humbled. I thank our people and, beyond that, I promise you that we may not be perfect but we will always strive to perfection,” he later told reporters. “I ask you all pray for me, wish me well. I want to do well because when the president does well, the country does well,” he said, without taking any questions.