Marcos heir wins Philippine election misinformation race

l Contrata, 25, a supporter of Presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, holds his phone during an interview with AFP at his residence in Manila. - AFP

MANILA (AFP): Philippine social media has exploded with support for presidential election favourite Ferdinand Marcos Junior, driven by a massive misinformation campaign aimed at revamping the family brand and smearing his top rival.

False and misleading claims have flooded Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Twitter in the lead-up to the May 9 polls, pounding Filipinos with a relentless barrage of propaganda on platforms where they rank among the heaviest users in the world.