INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

Philippines 2016 Election Exit Polls: Voting Results Show Rodrigo Duterte Out To Huge Lead Over Grace Poe

By Nathan Francis
Published on: 22:19 PST, May 8, 2016

The 2016 Philippines election exit polls and early voting totals point to what could be a huge victory for Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is dominating early results on Monday.

A total of 55 million votes are expected to be cast on Monday as the Philippines votes for a successor to President Benigno Aquino, who has reached his term limit. The controversial Duterte had surged to the top of presidential polls in recent weeks, breaking away from the pack and building a 10-point lead over the next-closest candidate, Senator Grace Poe.

Now the early exit polls from the 2016 Philippines election show that Rodrigo Duterte is again the pick of the voters. As ABC.net reported, Duterte has between 52 and 85 percent of vote in overseas exit polls.

“He has between 52 to 85 per cent of the vote in 15 countries where exit polling was conducted.

“These figures will not be repeated in the Philippines itself, where the most recent surveys give him an 11-point lead — but they are an indication of the popularity of the Davao City mayor’s anti-crime and anti-corruption platform.”

Early voting totals had Rodrigo Duterte way out ahead as well. At 6 p.m., unofficial results showed him with 1.4 million votes compared to just over 800,000 for Grace Poe and Mar Roxas, Zeibiz reported.

Polling places opened at 6 a.m. on Monday, and by midday there were reports of long lines at voting centers.

Rodrigo Duterte has attracted plenty of attention both in the Philippines and from international media. Dubbed “Duterte Harry” for his tough stance on crime, Duterte has been unapologetic for his approach and even downplayed allegations that he was an integral part of a so-called death squad of vigilantes who conducted extra-judicial killing of suspected criminals in Davao City.

This has earned Duterte a number of critics, including former Davao City priest Amado Picadal. He is one of the most vocal Duterte critics, claiming that more than 1,400 people were murdered by the hit squads under Duterte’s control of the city and with little to no effort to catch those responsible or bring them to justice.

“I believe that he inspired and supported these death squads,” Father Picadal said.

“He hasn’t done any investigation and he boasted about it and several times even admitted being behind this, although later on he took it back. Our own analysis is that it is at the heart of his drive against criminality: extra judicial killings.”

There have been reports of voting irregularities as Philippines voters go to the polls, including reports of violence. In the past few weeks a handful of candidates have been killed, including a mayoral candidate slain over the weekend.

There was more violence on Monday, reports indicated.

“Scattered incidents of election-related violence killed five in the southern province of Maguindanao, the Army’s Sixth Infantry Division (6ID) told the country’s state-run Philippine News Agency, but Captain Jo-Anne Petinglay of 6ID said the polling remained generally peaceful and civilian casualties are low compared to past elections in the province,” CNN reported.

Other voters noted problems at the polls. In the village of Balisawas, voters complained that their receipt did not match their candidate’s name.

“I voted for (Rodrigo) Duterte but (Mar) Roxas name came out,” said voter Mida Lili (via the Inquirer).

Voters will soon know if the Philippines 2016 election exit polls match the final result. Polls close in just a few hours, and the nation will learn if Rodrigo Duterte will become the next president.

[Photo by John Moore/Getty Images]

Share this article: Philippines 2016 Election Exit Polls: Voting Results Show Rodrigo Duterte Out To Huge Lead Over Grace Poe
More from Inquisitr