Philippines' presidential hopefuls tout post-pandemic recovery plans

Four of the Philippines' presidential candidates on Saturday laid down plans to tackle the country's biggest issues in an interview with the nation's leading broadcaster, but notable was the absence of early frontrunner Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Marcos, a clear favourite for the May 9 presidential election, declined to participate, saying the host was biased against him, a charge GMA Network Inc strongly denied.

The pre-recorded interviews, which ran for three hours, set social media ablaze. There was some harsh criticism of Marcos, with thousands on Twitter using the hashtag marcosduwag (marcoscoward), while praising other candidates and the host.

Marcos, 64, the only son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr, said he will communicate his message through other shows, platforms and forums.

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Political analysts credit Marcos' active social media presence for his strong showing in polls, but some suggested it might not be enough.

"Should the Marcos camp continue to shun these kinds of nationwide events, it is possible, if not highly probable, that...the second preferred candidates can pick up some numbers," said Richard Heydarian, an author, columnist and academic who specialises in politics.

Twitter has suspended hundreds of accounts that were promoting Marcos, citing violation of rules on spam and manipulation.