Final polls from the Philippine presidential election are showing the son of former leader Ferdinand Marcos heading for a landslide win.
Victory in Monday's election would cap a decades-long effort to rehabilitate the Marcos legacy after the former dictator was deposed and the family chased into exile in the US.
But the prospect of Ferdinand Marcos Jr moving back into the presidential palace has alarmed rights activists, church leaders and political analysts who fear he could rule "without constraint".
Ten candidates are vying to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte in the contest regarded by many as a make-or-break moment for the country's democracy.
The Marcos family's remarkable journey from pariahs to the peak of political power has been fuelled by public anger about corruption and poverty.
Polls indicate Mr Marcos Jr will win more than half the vote, which would make him the first presidential candidate to secure an absolute majority since his father was ousted in 1986.
Analysts say such an outcome would lead to weaker democratic checks and balances, more corruption and a new attempt to overhaul the 1987 constitution — which could include scrapping the one-term limit for presidents.
"If he wins really big, that could give him the kind of confidence and momentum to more radically alter the Philippines' political system," analyst Richard Heydarian said.
Previous administrations, including Mr Duterte's, have tried to amend the constitution but lacked sufficient support in Congress to push through the changes.
The latest poll by Pulse Asia Research showed Mr Marcos Jr on 56 per cent — 33 percentage points ahead of his nearest rival Leni Robredo, who narrowly beat him in the 2016 vice-presidential race
Such a winning margin would give Mr Marcos Jr the power to "govern the way Duterte wanted to", one long-time observer of Philippine politics told AFP.
"That is, without constraint," he said.
Ms Robredo, 57, has warned supporters that the "future of the country" is at stake.
Her recent poll bump has raised hopes among progressive supporters that their volunteer-driven campaign could yet deliver an upset.
But pollster Ana Maria Tabunda of Pulse Asia Research said there was little chance of that.
"Our error margin is only plus or minus two percentage points — given the large gap, it's not going to be affecting the results," Ms Tabunda said.
Allegations of dirty tricks marred the last week of a bitter presidential campaign, as Mr Marcos Jr issued a warning about vote-rigging while Ms Robredo accused him of being a liar.
Monday's winner only needs to get more votes than anyone else.
"I think this election is very important ... our next six years of life will depend on it," said Charmaigne Ang, 18, a first-time voter who was among thousands of people gathered in Manila's financial district for a rally by Ms Robredo on Saturday.
Still smarting from his 2016 loss, Mr Marcos Jr has run a tightly controlled campaign, skipping televised debates with rivals and largely shunning media interviews to avoid own goals before election day.
He has instead posted folksy videos on YouTube that seek to present him and his wealthy family as regular Filipinos, and fielded easy questions from celebrity interviewers.
A large and well-funded social media misinformation campaign targeting a mostly young electorate with no memory of his father's violent and corrupt rule has also sought to rewrite the family's history.
Mr Marcos Jr's popularity has been further enhanced by a formidable alliance with vice-presidential front-runner and first daughter Sara Duterte, and the backing of several rival political dynasties.
Days before the election, rights defenders and many Catholic priests made a final push to stop Mr Marcos Jr returning to the Malacanang Palace, where he grew up.
"It will be another six years of hell," warned political satirist and activist Mae Paner, 58, who was part of a popular uprising that ended the elder Marcos's regime and has been campaigning for Ms Robredo.
Hundreds of priests publicly endorsed Ms Robredo and her running mate Francis Pangilinan, telling their congregations that the election was a "battle for the soul" of the nation.
But Ms Robredo faces an uphill battle, said Cleve Arguelles, an assistant lecturer in political science at De La Salle University in Manila.
After enduring six years of attacks from the elder Duterte, Ms Robredo has witnessed her popularity hammered by a relentless and vicious online smear campaign.
Mr Heydarian said her late decision to enter the race had cost valuable time, while "unnecessary infighting" among rival candidates had benefited Mr Marcos Jr.
"They are handing this on a silver platter to the princeling of Philippine politics, Bongbong Marcos," he said, using Mr Marcos Jr's nickname.
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How Alia's experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
