The midterm election in the Philippines is approaching, and the support rate of President Marcos has plummeted.

Source: Global Times

[Reported by the Global Times reporter Yang Zhou] The Philippines will hold midterm elections on May 12, but the country is overshadowed by the shadow of political violence. According to a report by Agence France-Presse on the 19th, statistics from the Philippine Electoral Commission show that between January 12 and April 11 this year, 46 cases of political violence occurred nationwide. Election Commission spokesman Rody Angko emphasized that less than 20 candidates have died due to political violence, which is "much lower" compared to about 100 deaths among relevant personnel during the last election. However, analysts warn that such violent incidents may continue to become the norm in Philippine politics.

For a long time, the dilemma of "difficulty in punishing crimes" has plagued political violence in the Philippines. Taking the example of Kerwin Espinosa, the mayor candidate of Albay, who was shot on April 4, although the Philippine police claim that seven police officers are under investigation as suspects, AFP believes that due to local power intervention and lack of evidence chains, it is extremely difficult to convict the suspects. Existing data shows that 79% of perpetrators involved in violent acts against local government members from 2018 to 2022 remain unidentified.

In addition, with the midterm elections approaching, domestic political contradictions in the Philippines have become more prominent, and President Marcos' approval rating has plummeted sharply. According to the poll results recently released by the Philippine polling agency "Asia Pulse", President Marcos' approval rate in March was 25%, down 17 percentage points from 42% in February; his disapproval rate surged by 21 percentage points, reaching 53%. In sharp contrast, Vice President Sara Duterte, who is facing impeachment proceedings, saw her approval rating rise from 52% to 59%, making her the only senior official of the Philippine government whose approval rating increased.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7495530929587454505/

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