Filipinos face stark choices in candidates for president

A woman looks for her name and assigned precint at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School in Davao City, on the southern island of Mindanao on May 8, 2016, ahead of the presidential and vice presidential elections. Tens of thousands of security forces fanned out across the Philippines on May 8 on the eve of national polls, following a bitter and deadly election campaign plagued by rampant vote-buying and intimidation. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELISNOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images less A woman looks for her name and assigned precint at the Daniel Aguinaldo National High School in Davao City, on the southern island of Mindanao on May 8, 2016, ahead of the presidential and vice presidential ... more Photo: NOEL CELIS, AFP/Getty Images Photo: NOEL CELIS, AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Filipinos face stark choices in candidates for president 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

MANILA — Millions of Filipinos began voting Monday in a presidential race where a foul-mouthed, crime-busting mayor is favored to win, but who the outgoing president says is a threat to democracy.

Plenty is at stake for the Southeast Asian nation, which has turned around under President Benigno Aquino III with one of the highest economic growth rates in Asia. But the Philippines remains saddled by major poverty, inequality and decades-long Muslim and communist insurgencies.

Five candidates are vying to succeed Aquino in one of Asia’s liveliest democracies. More than 45,000 candidates are contesting 18,000 national, congressional and local positions in elections that have traditionally been tainted by violence and accusations of cheating, especially in far-flung rural areas.

At least 15 people have been killed in elections-related violence and more than 4,000 arrested for violating a gun ban, according to police.

“Let us show the world that despite our deep passion and support for our candidates, we can hold elections that are peaceful and orderly and reflect the spirit of democracy,” said Aquino, whose six-year term ends in June.

About 55 million Filipinos have registered to vote in 36,000 voting centers across the archipelago of more than 7,100 islands, including in a small fishing village in a Philippine-occupied island in the disputed South China Sea.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of southern Davao city has led in voter-preference surveys, with a bold promise to wipe out crime and corruption in three to six months if he wins. That has resonated among crime-weary Filipinos but has also sparked alarm and doubts.

Aquino, who backs former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, has campaigned against Duterte, saying he could threaten the country’s democracy.

The brash Duterte, who has been compared to U.S. Republican front-runner Donald Trump for his propensity to make provocative statements, has threatened to close down Congress and form a revolutionary government if he wins and faces stonewalling legislators.

A critical senator has also threatened to file an impeachment complaint against Duterte, accusing him of large-scale corruption. Duterte denies the allegations.

In final campaigning Saturday, Aquino warned voters that Duterte could be a dictator in the making and urged them not to support him.

Filipinos have been sensitive to potential threats to democracy since they rose in a 1986 “people power” revolt that ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who faced allegations of plundering the poor country and condoning widespread human rights violations by state forces. In 2001, a similar uprising forced Joseph Estrada from the presidency over alleged large-scale corruption.

Duterte’s opponents — Roxas, Sen. Grace Poe, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago — have all criticized him for remarks that threaten the rule of law and the Philippines’ hard-won democracy.

Duterte, 71, built a political name with his iron-fist approach to fighting crime in Davao city, where he has served as mayor for 22 years.

Despite his devil-may-care way with expletives, obscene remarks and allegations of corruption hurled against him, Duterte has led in election polls by more than 10 percentage points over Roxas and Poe. While it may be difficult for rivals to catch up, analysts say the race remains too close to call.