Judge me not by my ancestors but by my actions, Bongbong tells world

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the likely winner in the 2022 presidential election, on Wednesday appealed to the world to judge him by his actions and not by his ancestors.

"Judge me not by my ancestors, but by my actions," Marcos told the world, as shared by his spokesperson Atty. Vic Rodriguez in a statement.

Marcos is the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., whose decades-long rule has been linked to corruption and human rights violations.

According to Rodriguez, the younger Marcos is "[looking] forward to working across the Philippines, and with international partners and organizations, to address critical issues facing the country, and to begin delivering for the Filipino people."

With more than 16 million votes ahead of his staunch contender, Vice President Leni Robredo, based on partial and unofficial count, Marcos is set to be the 17th Philippine president, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said at least 98% of the votes already counted, having a lead of more than 16 million votes, the Filipinos have already spoken decisively on who will be the country's next leader.

"In historic numbers, the people have used their democratic vote to unite our nation," Rodriguez said.

"This is a victory for all Filipinos, and for democracy. To those who voted for Bongbong, and those who did not, it is his promise to be a President for all Filipinos. To seek common ground across political divides, and to work together to unite the nation," he added.

A Reuters report said that Marcos winning the presidential race would reshape the Southeast Asian country's relations with China and with the United States as the former senator seeks closer ties with Beijing, according to analysts.

He is reportedly seeking a new deal with Chinese ruler Xi Jinping over the contested waters of the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, Marcos' relations with the United States are "complicated by a contempt of court order for his refusal to cooperate with the District Court of Hawaii, which in 1995, directed the Marcos family to pay $2 billion of plundered wealth to victims of Marcos Sr.'s rule. —KBK, GMA News