Advanced prostate cancers rates rose as use of PSA tests fell

By HealthDay News


Ever since routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening tests have no longer been recommended, there has been a troubling rise in advanced prostate cancer cases in the United States, new research has found.

The tests measure the amount of PSA in the blood, and elevated levels can signal the presence of prostate cancer.

Routine PSA screening began in the United States nearly three decades ago, leading to a drop in both advanced prostate cancer cases and prostate cancer deaths. However, routine PSA screenings also increased the risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment of low-risk prostate cancer.

This prompted the United States Preventive Services Task Force to recommend in 2008 against routine PSA screening for men over 75, and follow that with a 2012 recommendation against such screening for all men. That recommendation was amended again in 2018, to say that men aged 55-69 should discuss PSA screening with their doctors if they desired.

To assess the impact of reduced screening, University of Southern California researchers analyzed data on more than 836,000 U.S. men 45 and older who were diagnosed with invasive prostate cancer from 2004 to 2018.

Of those cases, advanced cancer was reported in more than 26,600 men ages 45 to 74 and in more than 20,500 men 75 and older.

Among men ages 45 to 74, the incidence rate of advanced prostate cancer remained stable from 2004 to 2010, but then increased 41% from 2010 to 2018.

For men 75 and older, the incidence rate decreased from 2004 to 2011, but then increased 43% from 2011 to 2018. In both age groups, the increases were across all races.

The findings were published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

"This study is the first to document a continued rise in metastatic [advanced] prostate cancer using the most up-to-date population dataset," said co-lead study author Dr. Mihir Desai, a professor of clinical urology at USC's Keck School of Medicine.

"The discovery has important ramifications for men because prostate cancer, when caught early, typically through a screening, is very treatable and often curable," Desai added in a university news release.

"This data is very important as it indicates the need to constantly reassess the impact of policy decisions," co-lead study author Dr. Giovanni Cacciamani, an assistant professor of research urology and radiology at Keck. "Otherwise, we may see a continued rise in metastatic prostate cancer."

The reasons for halting routine PSA screenings may now be outdated, the researchers noted.

Co-author Dr. Inderbir Gill, chair of the urology department and executive director of the USC Institute of Urology, pointed out that urologic centers are finding new ways to improve patient outcomes.

"More refined strategies, including biomarkers and magnetic resonance imaging [MRIs], have already increased detection of clinically significant cancers, while active surveillance is increasingly used for low-risk and favorable intermediate-risk disease, thus mitigating the risks of overtreatment," Gill said in the release.

More information

There's more on prostate cancer screening at the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Copyright © 2021 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Study: Kids who spend more time on screens exhibit mental, behavior problems

As children spend more time using screen-based devices, such as tablets, phones and computers, their risk for behavioral problems and mental health disorders increases, according to a new study. Photo by Andi Graf/Pixabay

March 16 (UPI) -- Children who spend more time on using handheld devices and computers or watching television are more likely to exhibit behavior problems such as aggression, difficulties with attention, anxiety and depression, an analysis published Wednesday by JAMA Psychiatry found.

In the review of data from 87 studies with nearly 160,000 participants age 12 years and younger, more screen time during the day was associated with an up to 20% higher risk for behavior problems, the data showed.

The behavior problems exhibited by children with increased screen time included aggression and "inattention," the researchers said.

Children who spent more time using devices with screens, including phones, tablets, computers and televisions also were more likely to display symptoms of anxiety and depression, according to the researchers.

RELATED Study links kids' screen time during pandemic with rise in mental, behavioral issues

"When children under 12 are on screens for too many hours in a day, it may be associated with some behavioral problems, such as aggression or sadness," study co-author Sheri Madigan told UPI in an email.

However, the issue is not merely the "duration of screen viewing time" but also "how children engage with screens," said Madigan, Canada research chair in determinants of child development at the University of Calgary.

In 2020, the American Academy of Pediatrics relaxed its screen time guidelines to focus more on the quality of screen time as opposed to the duration.

RELATED Teen screen time doubled during pandemic, making mental health worse

The new guidelines encouraged parents, caregivers and educators to engage with children on their consumption of screen-based media and promote "meaningful" use, Madigan and her colleagues said.

Positive or meaningful uses of screen devices include those that involve education, keeping up with news and current events or connecting with friends and family, the researchers said.

Even "watching a movie with their siblings or gaming with friends online" can be "meaningful," in moderation, Madigan said.

RELATED Screen time rises, physical activity dives for U.S. kids, teens during pandemic

"When children use screens as a means of connecting with others, the association between screen time and children's behavioral problems has been found to be weaker," she said.

Still, recent studies have found that increased screen time, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has led to a rise in mental health disorders and behavioral problems among young people in the United States.

Increases in screen time have also been linked with declines in physical activity in earlier research.

"When children are watching screens for long durations, it is believed that this leaves less time to engage in other activities that we know are important for healthy development, including physical activity, sleep and off-line activities such as reading and homework," Madigan said.

Increased screen time can also adversely impact "positive social interactions with others," she said.

For this analysis, Madigan and her colleagues analyzed data from 87 studies conducted in multiple countries, including the United States.

All of the included studies were published before the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the researchers.

"Many pandemic-related studies have reported that children's recreational screen time has doubled during the pandemic," Madigan said. "So, we may actually see associations get stronger as the pandemic continues."

Corgi falls overboard from yacht in Florida, swims 7 miles to shore



March 16 (UPI) -- A 1-year-old corgi who fell overboard from a yacht on the Indian River in Florida swam 7 miles to shore and turned up in a resident's yard.

Jon Atwood said he brought his dog, Jessica, with him when he went to help his mother and stepfather take their 65-foot yacht from Florida to North Carolina for the hurricane season via the Intracoastal Waterway.

Atwood said the vessel was passing under the State Road 520 bridge over the Indian River in Brevard County when he noticed Jessica was no longer standing at his feet

"When we couldn't locate her, we immediately put two small boats in the water and started canvassing the water to try and find her," Atwood told WKMG-TV.

The family couldn't locate Jessica anywhere in the nearby waters.

"Prior to Sunday she had never been in the water, so we had no idea if she would even knew how to swim," Atwood told the Space Coast Daily.

Atwood continued the search for more than 24 hours before posts about Jessica's disappearance on social media led to his being contacted by a resident in Rockledge.

Jessica had apparently swam 7 miles to the Rockledge shore and ended up in the homeowner's back yard.

Atwood said the homeowner who found Jessica refused a $500 reward.

"I just want to say thank you. Thank you for caring. Thank you for being kind and thank you for being compassionate," Atwood said.

CH4 responsible for more than 80% of recent atmospheric methane growth

Tropical terrestrial methane, or CH4, emissions are responsible for more than 80% of observed changes in the global atmospheric methane growth rate from 2010 to 2019, according to a study released Wednesday. Photo by Sun Gehui/Chinese Academy of Sciences Headquarters

March 16 (UPI) -- Tropical terrestrial methane emissions were the driving factor of changes in methane growth over the past decade, according to a study released Wednesday.

More than 80% of observed changes in the global atmospheric methane growth rate from 2010 to 2019 were the result of tropical terrestrial methane emissions, or CH4, according to the study published in Nature Communications.

One of the study's authors, Yi Liu, professor at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said CH4 was the primary non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gas.

"On the 20-year scale, the warming effect of CH4 is 84 times that of CO2," Yi said in a statement.

RELATEDClimate change could cause spike in hospitalizations for low salt, study says

The study found that methane concentration has more than doubled since the pre-industrial era, contributing 20% of current human-induced global warming with CH4 emissions as the main contributor representing about 60% of the global totals.

Researchers also discovered seasonal correlations between sea surface temperature over tropical oceans and regional variations in methane emissions in tropical regions in South America and Africa.

"Sea surface temperature variations could be used to help forecast variations in global atmospheric CH4," said another of the study's authors, Liang Feng of the University of Edinburgh.

A Global Methane Assessment by the U.N. Environment Program and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition study last May found that human-caused methane emissions can be reduced by up to 45% this decade, keeping the global temperature within the bounds of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Last November, U.S. President Joe Biden said that reducing methan emissions is "one of the most important things we can do in this decisive decade" as he pledged the United States will hit its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

14th century sarcophagus unearthed at site of Paris' Notre Dame cathedral

Archaeologists unearthed ancient tombs and a 14th century sarcophagus while excavating underneath Paris' Notre Dame cathedral ahead of its reconstruction. Photo courtesy Roselyne Bachelot/Twitter

March 16 (UPI) -- Archaeologists discovered ancient tombs and a sarcophagus likely dating back to the 14th century at the site of the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.

The excavation was ordered by the Regional Archaeology Service ahead of plans to reconstruct the cathedral following the 2019 fire that collapsed the roof and spire of the national landmark. Workers unearthed burial sites "of remarkable scientific quality" and a "completely preserved" human-shaped sarcophagus made of lead.

"The first analysis of the furniture contained in the embankment level above it could lead to dating this burial to the latest in the 14th century. Given the characteristics and location of the sarcophagus, the hypothesis of a burial of a high dignitary seems likely," France's Culture Ministry said in a statement Monday.



Along with the tombs, the excavation unearthed a pit just below the cathedral's current floor containing elements of sculptures identified as belonging to the original 13th-century rood screen which separated the altar area from the nave.

The Culture Ministry noted that French architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc had previously found fragments belonging to the rood screen in the 19th century.

"Congratulations to [the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research] for the exemplary excavation site carried out at #noredameparis," Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot wrote on Twitter. "It allowed important discoveries which will significantly enrich our knowledge of the cathedral."

NASA releases brilliant image of star from James Webb Space Telescope

NASA released the first image the James Webb Space Telescope has taken so far on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, using sharper focus, a brilliant blazing orange photo of a star in the constellation Ursa Major known as 2MASS J17554042+6551277. Photo courtesy of NASA


ORLANDO, Fla., March 16 (UPI) -- NASA on Wednesday released the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope after sharpening its focus, as the agency plans to start peering at the earliest galaxies in the universe.

The image shows a brilliant, blazing orange star know as 2MASS J17554042+6551277.

NASA officials said the telescope is working better than its minimum requirements, raising hopes for spectacular new astronomy discoveries.

"I'm happy to say that the optical performance of the telescope is absolutely phenomenal," Lee Feinberg, Webb optical telescope element manager, said at a press conference.

RELATEDJames Webb Telescope adjustments bring stars more into focus

"It is really working extremely well. We said that we would know the telescope is working properly when we have an image of a star that looks like a star, and now we have that and you're seeing that image," Feinberg said.

The new image of the star also reveals multiple galaxies in the background, Jane Rigby, Webb operations project scientist, said. NASA hasn't identified those galaxies yet, she said.

"Now, we took this image to characterize the sharpness, but you can't help but see those thousands of galaxies behind it; they're truly gorgeous," Rigby said. "There's no way that Webb can look for 2,000 seconds at any point in the sky and not so incredibly deeply. So this is going to be the future from now on. We're seeing back in time ... light as it looks billions of years ago without even really breaking a sweat."

RELATEDNASA releases first images from James Webb Space Telescope

She said the new image of the star is as sharp and crisp as the Hubble Space Telescope could achieve, while future images will be even sharper.

As a result, NASA officials are breathing a huge sigh of relief, Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA's associate administrator for science said.

"The sleepless nights I've had and the worries I've had -- they're all behind us now," Zurbuchen said, adding that additional challenges are ahead, but the majority of tasks to make Webb operational are achieved.

RELATED James Webb Space Telescope reaches final orbital destination

Previously, the agency released early images from the telescope as it was aligned. More alignment and focus is still scheduled for the observatory, which is in a unique orbit 1 million miles from Earth.

Earlier images showed 18 copies of a different star, one copy for each of the mirror's 18 segments. As scientists and engineers aligned those segments, NASA released another image showing a single, focused photo of the star that was fuzzier than the new image released Wednesday.



Webb was built over 20 years by an international partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies.

It launched Dec. 25 from Europe's Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

NASA plans to release the first science images -- with even better focus -- this summer after it prepares and commissions all instruments on the observatory.

"Webb will explore every phase of cosmic history -- from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe and everything in between," NASA said in a news release Tuesday. "Webb will reveal new and unexpected discoveries and help humanity understand the origins of the universe and our place in it."

Webb is more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope, partly because it gathers infrared light, whereas Hubble uses visible light spectrums. The two telescopes may at times work in tandem to observe space objects and phenomena.

Quake hits Japan off Fukushima coast, leaving at least four dead and reviving painful memories

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake has jolted Japan's north-east coast off Fukushima late on Wednesday, leaving at least four dead and nearly 100 injured, reviving memories of an earthquake and powerful tsunami that crippled the same region just over a decade earlier.

Key points:

The earthquake struck 57 kilometres off the coast of Honshu island, at a depth of 60km

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency confirmed two deaths and injuries to 94 people

According to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, there have been no abnormalities at nuclear power plants

Just before midnight, the quake hit off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of 56 kilometres, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Afterwards, there were some reports of fire, the government said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said four people had died and the government would be on high alert for the possibility of further strong tremors over the next two to three days.

The quake severed transport links to the north-east, with Shinkansen bullet train service indefinitely suspended and at least one major highway to the region closed for safety checks.

The quake was felt in the capital, Tokyo, some 275km away, where the shaking of buildings was long and pronounced.

Hundreds of thousands of homes in the capital were plunged into darkness for an hour or more, although power was fully restored by the early hours of Thursday morning.



Early on Thursday, the Japan Meteorological Agency lifted its low-risk advisory for a tsunami along the coasts of Fukushima and Miyagi prefectures.

Some areas reported a rise in the sea level but no serious damage was immediately reported.

The agency upgraded the quake's strength to magnitude-7.4 from its initial magnitude-7.3 and the recalibrated its depth from 60km below the sea to 56km.Furniture and electrical appliances are scattered at an apartment in Fukushima, Japan, after the magnitude-7.3 quake. (AP: Kyodo News)

This quake comes just a week after the 11th anniversary of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the same area in March 2011.

The 2011 disaster triggered a meltdown at the Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima, an incident Japan is still coming to grips with.

Mr Kishida told reporters there had been no abnormalities at the nation's nuclear power plants, although authorities had earlier said a fire alarm had been triggered at a turbine building at the crippled plant.

Separately, a Shinkansen bullet train derailed, with some 100 people on board, although there were no reports of injuries.

Utility Tokyo Electric Power Company said that initially around 2 million households lost power on Wednesday, including 700,000 in the capital.

Tohoku Electric Power said around 36,400 homes were still without power as of 9:00am local time on Thursday, although the firm said it expected most will have supply restored later in the day.

People walk along the streets in Toyko during a blackout after the earthquake plunged millions of homes into darkness for an hour or more. (AP: Kyodo News)

Strong quakes in Japan can disrupt manufacturing, particularly of sensitive electronic components such as semiconductors that are made using precision machinery.

The 2011 quake halted production for three months at a factory owned by Renesas Electronics Corp, which makes nearly a third of all micro controller chips used in cars.

A fire at the facility last year exacerbated a chip shortage that has forced auto companies to curb output.

Renesas said it was checking the condition of three of its plants — Naka, Yonezawa and Takasaki — and would afterwards provide a statement on whether production had been affected.

Meanwhile, Toyota Motor Corp said it had cancelled the day shift at two factories in north-east Japan after workers evacuated the plants during their evening shift on Wednesday.

The automaker said it would decide on the evening shift later.

In an attempt to cover the area affected by the Shinkansen outage, All Nippon Airways said it had added extra flights to the northern city of Sendai.

There were no forecasts of when regular rail service might be restored.

Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock average jumped, with no impact seen from the quake.

There have been reports of damage to buildings in Fukushima prefecture from the large earthquake that struck the region on Wednesday night.(AP: Kyodo News)

2 dead after 7.3-magnitude earthquake hits Japan's northeast coast

This picture shows scattered merchandise and damaged ceiling at a supermarket in Shiroishi, Miyagi prefecture on Mar 17, 2022 after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted east  Japan the night before. (Photo: AFP/Charly Triballeau)

16 Mar 2022 11:03PM(Updated: 17 Mar 2022 07:59AM)

TOKYO: A powerful magnitude 7.3 earthquake jolted Japan's northeast coast off Fukushima late on Wednesday (Mar 16), leaving two dead and 94 injured and reviving memories of a quake and tsunami that crippled the same region just over a decade earlier.

There were some reports of fire, the government said. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said on Thursday morning that there had been two confirmed deaths and 94 injured, including four seriously.

The quake was felt in Tokyo, about 275km away, where the shaking of buildings was long and pronounced. Hundreds of thousands of homes in the capital were plunged into darkness for an hour or more, although power was fully restored by the early hours of Thursday morning.

Authorities cancelled an earlier tsunami warning.

Just before midnight, the quake hit off the coast of Fukushima prefecture at a depth of 60 kilometres, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It sparked memories of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, a week after that disaster's 11th anniversary.

There were no abnormalities at nuclear power plants, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters. The 2011 disaster triggered a meltdown at the Daiichi nuclear plant in Fukushima, an incident Japan is still coming to grips with.

Authorities earlier said a fire alarm had been triggered at a turbine building at the crippled plant.

Separately, a Shinkansen bullet train derailed with about 100 people on board, although there were no reports of injuries.

Utility Tokyo Electric Power Company said that initially about 2 million households lost power on Wednesday, including 700,000 in the capital. Tohoku Electric Power said about 38,500 homes were still without power as of 7.40am local time on Thursday.

Strong quakes in Japan can disrupt manufacturing, particularly of sensitive electronic components such as semiconductors that are made using precision machinery.

The 2011 quake halted production for three months at a factory owned by Renesas Electronics, which makes nearly a third of all microcontroller chips used in cars. A fire at the facility last year exacerbated a chip shortage that has forced auto companies to curb output.

Renesas said it was checking the condition of three of its plants - Naka, Yonezawa and Takasaki - and would provide a statement on whether production has been affected later.

Sitting on the boundary of several tectonic plates, Japan experiences around a fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

CNA correspondent in Japan, Michiyo Ishida, said in a tweet that a big earthquake had hit the Tohoku area.

"Tokyo shakes too. It’s two separate tremors. The bigger one measured an M7.3 at past 11.30pm," she wrote. 

There were also blackouts due to the earthquake, she added.

A policeman stands along a street direct traffic during a power outage in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

People shop in a store in a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on March 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

A woman shops in a store in a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

Items lay on the ground at a convenience store in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture on late Mar 16, 2022 after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake shook east Japan. (Photo: STR/Jiji Press/AFP)

A general view shows residentials building during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

A general view shows residential buildings during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

People walk along a street of aresidential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. A woman shops in a store in a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

A policeman stands along a street direct traffic during a power outage in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

People shop in a store in a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on March 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

A woman shops in a store in a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

Items lay on the ground at a convenience store in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture on late Mar 16, 2022 after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake shook east Japan. (Photo: STR/Jiji Press/AFP)

A general view shows residentials building during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

A general view shows residential buildings during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

People walk along a street of aresidential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. A woman shops in a store in a residential area during a power outage in Koto district in Tokyo on Mar 16, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

A policeman stands along a street direct traffic during a power outage in Tokyo early on March 17, 2022, after a powerful 7.3-magnitude quake jolted east Japan. (Photo: AFP/Philip Fong)

Related:

No abnormalities at stricken Fukushima power plant after 7.3-magnitude quake: Japan nuclear authority

 BREAD RIOTS PRELUDE TO REVOLUTION

Sri Lanka seeks IMF bailout amid shortages, rising public anger

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has called on Sri Lankans to use fuel and electricity sparingly. But citizens blame his government for the country's worst economic crisis since independence almost 75 years ago.

There has been widespread outrage over spiraling costs in Sri Lanka, including major

 protests in Colombo earlier this week

Sri Lanka will seek an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, the country's president said on Wednesday, just 24 hours after a huge crowd stormed his office over runaway prices.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said his government was in discussions with the IMF, other agencies and countries on deferring loan repayments. He also asked citizens to help by limiting electricity and fuel consumption with the South East Asian nation in the throes of its worst economic crisis since it gained independence from Britain in 1948.

Although the issue dates back well beyond the conflict in Ukraine, rising fuel prices have exacerbated the situation in recent weeks.

President seeks understanding

"Subsequent to my discussions with the International Monetary Fund, I have decided to work with them," Rajapaksa said in an address to the nation.

"By limiting the use of fuel and electricity as much as possible, the citizens, too, can extend their support to the country at this time," Rajapaksa added.

"I hope that you will understand the responsibility lies with you at this challenging time," he added.

Mass protests

Political parties and citizen groups don't see it as their responsibility, though, launching mass protests across the country, blaming the government for the economic crunch. For critics of the influential Rajapaksa family, having the president's elder brother, Mahinda, as prime minister and his younger brother, Basil, as finance minister only deepens a sense of nepotism and mismanagement.

The main opposition party held a demonstration near the president's office on Tuesday demanding his resignation over the rising cost of food, medicine and other essential goods, causing serious hardship for Sri Lanka's 22 million people.

Rising food and fuel prices are hitting an already impoverished country hard

Sri Lanka is currently battling record inflation and unprecedented food and fuel shortages as the country struggles to finance imports.

Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic has hit the island's tourism sector hard, while the amount of money sent home by Sri Lankans living abroad has also declined.

Philippines: Marcos Jr. election lead raises the stakes for democracy

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is proving hugely popular with younger voters who do not remember the atrocities of his father. But what will it mean for liberal institutions if the son of a former dictator is in charge?

Bong Bong Marcos is polling well ahead of the competition

Nearly 50 years after his father and late president declared martial law in the Philippines, Ferdinand "Bong-Bong" Marcos Jr. is leading the race to become the country's next president in the May 2022 elections.

Pulse Asia, the first major opinion survey conducted since the presidential campaign started in February, showed that Marcos Jr. has maintained a sizable lead over his nine opponents.

Opposition leader and current Vice President Leni Robredo is the closest contender at 16% compared to Marcos Jr's 60%.

"Bong-Bong Marcos is in a position not just to win but to win bigger than any other predecessors in recent memory. There is a very high chance that he will take more than 50% of the votes. We're no longer talking about a plurality president but a majority president," Manila-based political analyst Richard Heydarian told DW.

A victory for Marcos Jr. would make for a stunning political comeback for his family, which has become synonymous with the massive accumulation of ill-gotten wealth and human rights violations. His late father, Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was toppled in a 1986 uprising after holding power with an iron fist for two decades.

"I really have a hard time seeing how this presidential race can be more competitive," said Heydarian.

Marcos Jr's vice-presidential running mate is Sara Duterte, daughter of incumbent president Rodrigo Duterte. Duterte has yet to endorse the candidacy of Marcos Jr. and his daughter. 

An historical election for the Philippines?

According to Heydarian, the Philippine electorate are no longer vested in the democratic political promises brought on by the 1986 revolution.

"We're looking at a counterrevolution. People are saying, 'let's just go back to the original when it comes to strongmen.'"

There is also concern that a Marcos victory would signal the end of the Philippines' liberal democracy.

"This is the battle of the heart and soul of the country," Nicole Curato, a sociologist and political analyst told DW.

"I don't mean to suggest that Marcos Jr. will impose martial law like his father did, but he will have the executive power to undermine institutions that were created in response to his father's abuse of power," she added.

Curato has been interviewing supporters of Marcos Jr, and believes many voters have responded to his populist calls for national unity, which have resonated among Filipinos continuing to suffer from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Unity is an appealing message because it is not antagonistic. Many view the opposition's calls for [government] accountability as political bickering that does little to uplift the lives of many Filipinos," Curato said.

"His message is simple: Division is what stands in the way for us to achieve our dreams. His message does not discuss the root of the problems which cause hurt and anger. It is, in many ways, a toxic form of positivity," she added.

Protesters in December 2021 called for Marcos Jr. to be banned from running

Who is supporting Marcos Jr?

A breakdown by age demographic of Pulse Asia's February results shows that 63% of millennials, or those roughly between the ages of 25-34, want Marcos Jr. to be the next president.

Majie Cabatian, a 26-year-old homemaker with two children, supports Marcos Jr.

Cabatian is too young to remember the atrocities of the Marcos dictatorship, but insists that the infrastructure and highways around the country that still bear his name are testament to a legacy of progress.

"That's proof of all the good things he did for the country. We're still benefiting from all that. What have the other presidents done?" she told DW.

She added that the roads she attributes to Marcos era have given her husband a job. "My husband is a truck driver. More roads mean more jobs for him. Bong-Bong will be good for the country, just as his father was," she said.

Photographer Niccolo Cosme, on the other hand, is determined to do everything he can to prevent Marcos Jr. from coming into power.

Cosme is pouring his time and talent into being a volunteer for the Robredo campaign. "I have done photo shoots and social media campaigns for Robredo 2022 and I do not expect to be paid a single cent for it," he said.

Cosme told DW that his zeal comes from a place of deep regret. "I voted for Duterte in the last election. I campaigned for him and convinced friends to vote for him. I was blinded by his promise of change," he said.

He said his initial enthusiasm turned into horrified disillusionment at the changes Duterte brought to the Philippines after six years in office.

"All those people killed in the drug war. How he surrendered the West Philippine Sea to China. It's just too much. I feel responsible for that because I voted for him. This is the time for me to correct my past mistakes."

With barely two months until the elections, Cosme still holds out hope that Robredo will take the lead from Marcos, Jr. "She has to win. She simply has to," he said.