Editor’s note: Freddie Reidy is a London-based freelance writer. He studied history and art history at the University of Kent, Canterbury, specializing in Russian history and international politics. The article reflects the opinions of the author, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In the Philippines, the dust is beginning to settle after the spectacular presidential victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr, commonly known as “Bongbong”. With the majority of votes counted, Bongbong is expected to secure 58% of the vote, the largest margin since the election of his namesake father, who reigned from 1965 to 1986.

Marcos Jr ran against incumbent Vice President Leni Robredo. Both candidates have focused on a largely national agenda as the country struggles to recover from the ravages of the pandemic, which has had a serious impact on the country’s economy, with tourism a notable casualty alongside a decline remittances for foreign labor.

The transition from Rodrigo Duterte’s outgoing administration to Marcos’ incoming team is expected to go smoothly, with Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte, becoming vice president. Marcos’ competitor Robredo was also magnanimous as defeat became inevitable, saying “the voice of the people is becoming clearer and clearer…In the name of the Philippines which I know you love too, we must listen to this vote because in the end we only have one country that we share.”

In a declaration of victory, Marcos’ Chief of Staff, Victor Rodriguez, echoed Robredo’s message of the need for national unity in a time of change: “In historical figures, the people have used their democratic vote to unite our nation… This is a victory for all. Filipinos and for democracy. To those who voted for Bongbong and to those who did not, it is his promise to be the president of all Filipinos. To seek common ground across political divides and work together to unite the nation.

Marcos has long lived in the shadow of his father’s legacy. The former president died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 after a popular uprising. His wife Imelda’s famous shoe collection has become a symbol of the excesses of the former strongman administration.

Marcos’ victory therefore marks the culmination of a long campaign to restore the position of the Marcos family in the country. Addressing the specter of his father, his chief of staff relayed: “To the world he says: don’t judge me by my ancestors, but by my actions.”

Actions at home will likely see the popular continuation of the notoriously hardline “war on drugs” led by Rodrigo Duterte as incumbent president and former mayor of Davao City – a tough style of leadership the country has clearly endorsed.

In foreign policy, we can see little change due to the demands of the domestic agenda. However, the new president hinted at a desire to pursue warmer relations with China.

The Philippines is home to a long-standing dispute over maritime borders in the South China Sea. A contested 2016 court did little to settle the matter. Bongbong, however, is keen on fixing the issue, as he explained to DZRH Radio during the campaign: “I think we can come to an agreement (with China). In fact, the people from the Chinese Embassy are my friends. We talked about it.”

The Philippines has long been a place of interest for the United States, but the mood music coming from the Marcos-Duterte post is that the new administration is keen to see relations with China in Filipino terms and not as a binary choice. between Beijing and Washington. .

It is likely that as part of pursuing strong bilateral relations with other nations while focusing on the domestic agenda, Manila will seek to develop economic ties with China. The Duterte-era “Build, Build, Build” national infrastructure investment policy would seem a natural area for enhanced cooperation in the future.

Indeed, a renewed collective unity is likely to foster a sense of national purpose and strategic autonomy. The incoming administration will be optimistic that the scale of victory and the continuity that Sara Duterte offers will ensure political stability, thus providing a springboard for a rapid revival of the nation’s fortunes.

(If you would like to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at [email protected] Follow @thouse_opinionsTwitter for the latest comments in CGTN’s Opinion section.)