Local media in the Philippines project that the son and namesake of ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos will be the country's next president.

Vote-counting is still underway, but some local media have made the call.

They say Marcos has captured most of the votes counted so far.

They believe his closest opponent, Leni Robredo, is too far behind to catch up.

Sixty-four-year-old Marcos will inherit a nation hit hard by the pandemic, and he's promised to rebuild.

He is the son of the late autocrat who ruled the Philippines for two decades.

But 36 years after his ouster, memories of the regime are fading.

Marcos used social media to recast his father's legacy, targeting young voters.

Marcos also secured support from fans of outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.

He chose Duterte's daughter as a running mate and pledged to maintain the hard-liner's key policies.

But exactly how Marcos will rule remains unclear. He refused to be part of presidential debates and kept silent on the darker aspects of his father's rule.

His presidency could mean an even closer relationship with China, and a continuation of the heavy-handed aspects of Duterte's leadership.