Sharjah 24 – Reuters: Philippine presidential candidates were in the provinces on Tuesday to drum up more support as the campaign entered its homestretch, in an election that has shaped into a two-way race between Ferdinand Marcos Jr and old rival Leni Robredo.

Marcos, the son and namesake of the ousted president who ruled the Philippines for two decades, has a wide lead in polls over incumbent vice president, Robredo, ahead of the May 9 ballot.

The 64-year-old frontrunner repeated his message of unity before supporters in central Iloilo province at the first of three big rallies this week before campaigning ends on Saturday, urging them to carry his "Uniteam" to victory.

Political analysts say Marcos has been aided by a decades-long public relations effort to alter perception of his family, even as critics accuse the Marcoses of attempting to rewrite history. 

In Negros Occidental province, what was supposed to be a small assembly turned into a campaign rally for Robredo, 57, after dozens of supporters showed up. There, she promised an honest and transparent government if elected president.

The latest Pulse Asia survey conducted in mid April showed 56% of 2,400 respondents supporting Marcos, 23% backing Robredo and former boxer Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso on 7% and 4% respectively.