Ferdinand Marcos Jr

The petition claims that the son of the former dictator should have been barred from the election due to a past conviction for tax evasion.

The new president will take the reins at a time of high inflation and monetary tightening in the global financial system.

Marcos might not have been the ideal choice of many U.S. policymakers, but he offers the opportunity for a more stable and predictable partnership.

Even if Marcos were to actively engage Beijing – and that’s not a given – there are hard limits to Chinese influence in the Philippines.

Despite his platform of national "unity," Ferdinand Jr.'s presidency will likely further polarize an already divided society.

Marcos has been short on specifics about foreign policy, but in interviews he said he wanted to pursue closer ties with China,

Filipinos have decisively elected another Marcos and another Duterte to the nation’s two highest offices.

As polling stations open across the country, the dictator's son seems set to be elected the country's 17th president.

The return of the Philippine's once-disgraced Marcos clan has been aided by a flood of coordinated online manipulation.

The latest Pulse Asia survey has shown nearly no change since last month, with Marcos holding a commanding 33-point lead over second-placed Leni Robredo.

Despite a slight loss of support, Marcos still enjoys an apparently unassailable 32-point lead over his main rival.