Voting gets under way in Philippines presidential election

Voting to elect the Philippines’ next president began on Monday after an acrimonious campaign that underlined popular disgust with the country’s ruling elite to tackle poverty and inequality despite years of robust economic growth.

Five candidates are vying to succeed outgoing President Benigno Aquino, but opinion polls in the days ahead of the vote showed that firebrand mayor and crime-buster Rodrigo Duterte had a comfortable lead.

More than half of the southeast Asian country’s population of 100 million people are registered as voters for Monday’s election to choose a president, vice president, 300 politicians and about 18,000 local government officials.

– (Reuters)