Philippines election: Hardliner Rodrigo Duterte 'set for presidency
LONDON. KAZINFORM Hardline anti-crime candidate Rodrigo "Digong" Duterte looks set to become president of the Philippines after polls gave him an unassailable lead.
Mr Duterte, who stirred controversy during campaigning with his incendiary comments, said he accepted the apparent mandate with "extreme humility".
An accredited poll monitor said he led with most ballots counted, but this does not represent an official result.
The 71-year-old credited his success to his tough stance on law and order.
His record as the crime-crushing mayor of the southern town of Davao, once notorious for its lawlessness, earned him the moniker The Punisher and resonated with voters.
Other driving issues of the election campaign were pervasive corruption, as well as the poverty and inequality experienced by many Filipinos despite economic growth under outgoing President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino.
Source: BBC News