Bongbong Marcos' Petition Against VP Thrown Out By Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of the Philippines, sitting as the Presidential Election Tribunal, today dismissed a petition from Senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo that had alleged irregularities in her election as VP in 2016, where she narrowly defeated Marcos by a margin of less than 1%.

• The case could have significant implications for the presidential election due to be held next year. Incumbent President Rodrigo Duterte is limited to one six-year term in office. There has been speculation that Robredo will seek to run for the centrist Liberal Party, something that could have been scuppered if Marcos' case had been successful.
• Robredo has been a consistent critic of Duterte. In Philippine presidential elections the president and vice president are elected separately, meaning - as was the case following the 2016 vote - that they can come from different political parties.
• Bongbong has been a close ally of Duterte during his time in office, both increasing his national profile and attempting to wipe clean the slate on his family's name (Bongbong is son of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos).
• Robredo - in a similar vein to Joe Biden in the US - is one of a number of centrist politicians seeking a 'return to normalcy' in Philippine policy making after five tumultuous years under Duterte. Her Liberal Party continues to support a close military alliance with the US, while Duterte and his supporters have advocated demanding payments from the US for a deal that allows American troops to be permanently deployed in the Philippines.
• Should a Duterte-esque candidate win in 2022 it could create notable difficulties for the US in maintaining a sizeable military presence in south east Asia, a crucial area of geopolitical risk.