Maverick anti-crime candidate Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte has won the Philippine presidential elections, following the withdrawal of his opponents.
Although the official result has not yet been declared, main rival Mar Roxas admitted defeat after polls gave Mr Duterte an unassailable lead.
Mr Duterte said he accepted the mandate with “extreme humility”.
The 71-year-old stirred controversy during campaigning with his incendiary comments.
He has credited his success to his tough stance on law and order.
His record as the crime-crushing mayor of the southern town of Davao, once notorious for its lawlessness, earned him the moniker The Punisher and resonated with voters.
Election officials have said there was a record turnout at polling stations, with more than 81% of the 54 million registered voters casting a ballot. Senators and about 18,000 local officials including mayors are also being elected.
The PPCRV (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting) poll monitor said that with 90% of the presidential ballots counted, Mr Duterte had more than 14.8m votes – about 39%. The PPCRV is accredited by the election commission to monitor counting but its reporting does not represent an official tally.
Mr Roxas, a former interior minister and Mr Duterte’s closest rival, had 8.6 million votes.
As the extent of his lead became clear, Mr Duterte told AFP news agency: “It’s with humility, extreme humility, that I accept this, the mandate of the people.”
Mr Roxas accepted his rival’s win. “There are many tears in the room. Let me tell you this is not a time for tears. For our country, we have had a peaceful, successful transfer of power.”
Another key rival, Senator Grace Poe, was the first to concede defeat, promising to “co-operate with the healing process” after a turbulent campaign.
In the election to be vice-president, Leni Robredo, a social activist, is currently slightly ahead of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, the son of a former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The appeal of Duterte: Analysis by Karishma Vaswani, Asia business correspondent
[su_column size=”10/7″][aas_zone zone_id=”1183″][/su_column]The statistics are stark, and bleak. Experts say anywhere between 40% and 80% of Philippine legislators are connected to political dynasties with vested interests. A handful of the families control almost all of the country’s wealth.
And perhaps the bleakest statistic of all: 25% of the population lives under the poverty line – a figure that has not changed much in two decades.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise then that Filipinos have chosen Mr Duterte’s crime-busting, tough-talking, action-oriented ways over the current administration’s candidate Manuel Roxas.
Mr Aquino is standing down as the constitution limits presidents to one six-year term. As Mr Duterte rose in opinion polls ahead of voting, Mr Aquino had tried to unite other candidates against him, warning his election could mean a return to dictatorship for the Philippines.
Read More: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36253612
Duterte: From ‘Punisher’ to president
- Born in 1945 into a political family but with a more modest background than many Philippine politicians.
- Married twice but now single, he says he has several girlfriends.
- A lawyer, he became vice-mayor of Davao in 1986 and mayor in 1988. He has also previously held a seat in congress.
- Built a reputation fighting crime, militancy and corruption. He has promised to continue his tough stance as president, but has offered few specific policies.
- Well known for incendiary comments, such as saying he would kill thousands of criminals without trial.
