Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the former president's son and namesake whose two-decade rule ended in a popular uprising, scored a landslide victory in Tuesday's presidential election. Filipino voters disregarded claims that his rise could threaten their fragile democracy.

With more than 90 percent of the vote counted, Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Junior has received about 30 million votes, more than twice as many as his closest competitor, the liberal nominee Leni Robredo.

In half a century, the Marcos family has gone from the presidential palace to pariah status and back again.

The "People Power" revolution toppled and exiled the elder Marcos and first lady Imelda Marcos in 1986.

Current authoritarian president Rodrigo Duterte retains broad popular support. Still, rights groups, Catholic leaders, and political analysts believe that Mr. Marcos Jr. may rule with an even harder hand if he wins by a significant margin.

Mr. Marcos Jr. thanked volunteers for months of "sacrifices and work" in a late-night statement from his campaign headquarters in Manila.

However, he refrained from declaring victory, cautioning that "the count is not yet done."

Then we may celebrate."

Outside, jubilant supporters lit off fireworks, waved the national flag, and climbed onto parked cars while chanting in celebration.

Cleve Arguelles, a professor of political science at De La Salle University in Manila, stated that "this will be a historic election" for the Philippines.

Ms. Lobredo, a lawyer and the current vice president, acknowledged her "clear disappointment" with the outcome.

The 57-year-old had pledged to clean up the sleazy politics that have long blighted a country where a handful of dynasties dominate influence.

In the last weeks preceding the election, her campaign transformed into a broad pro-democracy movement that gathered almost one million people to a single rally in Manila.

Corazon Bagay, a 52-year-old Robredo supporter, stated, "She has no whiff of corruption allegations," "She is not a thief. Leni is sincere."

Ms. Robredo told supporters in an early Tuesday morning television address: "Nothing was wasted. We did not fall short "The.

She hinted that the movement would continue once the official results are published, which is anticipated to take many weeks.

She stated, "We are just getting started,"

Judy Taguiwalo, a 72-year-old anti-Marcos activist, described the election as "another crossroads" for the nation.

"We need to continue to stand up and struggle."

Mark Thompson, an analyst, stated that the opposition must now conduct introspection and widen its discourse beyond "good governance."

Mr. Thompson, head of the South-East Asia Research Centre at the City University of Hong Kong, stated, "They need to make clear that they're going to improve the lives of the average Filipino,"

Mr. Marcos Jr. was able to capitalize on broad discontent with a succession of post-dictatorship regimes, which many Filipinos felt had failed to fundamentally better their circumstances.

Notably, he also gained the support of some of the country's most prominent political families, whose patronage networks can be called upon to deliver large blocs of votes.

These ties were poised for tremendous success as his running mate, Sara Duterte, expanded her advantage over the vice-presidential contest rivals.

Voters donned masks and formed lengthy lines at tens of thousands of polling sites across the archipelago before sunrise on election day.

Official voting ended 13 hours later, at 7 p.m. (1100 GMT).

At the Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in Batac, the ancestral home of the Marcoses, voters waved hand fans to beat the tropical heat.

Before Mr. Marcos Jr., 64, his younger sister Irene and eldest son Sandro arrived at the polling site, bomb-sniffing dogs conducted a thorough sweep.

Mr. Marcos Jr.'s mother, Imelda, was lowered from a van clad in red, the clan's campaign color.

Sandro, 28, who is running for political office for the first time in a congressional seat in the province of Ilocos Norte, stated that his family's history was "a burden."

"It's one that we also try to sustain and protect and better as we serve," he continued.

Both children of authoritarian presidents, Mr. Marcos Jr., and Ms. Duterte, have claimed that they are best suited to "unify" the country.

On Saturday, hundreds of thousands of red-clad fans attended Mr. Marcos Jr. and Ms.

Other presidential contenders were boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and former street scavenger-turned-actor Francisco Domagoso.

However, vote-buying and intimidation remain recurring issues.

More than 60,00 security personnel were deployed to secure polling locations and election workers.

At least two fatal gunshots occurred at polling locations on the volatile southern island of Mindanao, resulting in four deaths and three injuries, according to the police.

Sunday's grenade attack injured nine persons.