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36% says Robredo better — poll

MEDIA BUREAU

ABOUT 36% of Filipinos believe former vice president Maria Leonor G. Robredo could have performed better than President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in leading the country and solving its problems, a new survey by WR Numero Research showed.

The survey was conducted in December 2023 and also showed that 35% of the respondents disagreed, while 29% were unsure that Ms. Robredo, who lost the presidential race to Mr. Marcos in 2022, could have done a better job as president.

“Across self-identified partisanship, 57% of those identifying as opposition agree with Robredo better handling the country’s problems,” WR Numero said in a statement. Among self-identified Marcos supporters (41%), 34% agreed to the possibility, the pollster added.

The survey was held months after Filipinos endured soaring costs of basic commodities such as rice, whose market prices had risen to as much as 57 a kilo in September.

Philippine headline inflation hit a 14-year high of 8.7% year on year in the first month of 2023. It declined to 3.9% in December, but the full-year average for 2023 hit 6.0%, breaching the central bank’s 2%-4% target.

Mr. Marcos, who led the Agriculture department for over a year, imposed a price cap on rice in September, a move that had been criticized by some of the country’s seasoned economists.

Ms. Robredo launched an anti-poverty program during her vice presidency despite having a relatively low budget.

Those who agree with such a “could have” situation are probably Duterte supporters who can entertain a Robredo-Duterte tandem,” Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, a political science professor at De La Salle University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat. “Past elections prove that Filipinos can be flexible with their choice of rulers.”

He said the undecided might have been those who are “too disillusioned to support anyone or entertain an alternate reality at this point.”

An OCTA Research poll conducted from Dec. 10 to 14 showed that the trust rating for Mr. Marcos rebounded in the last quarter of 2023 after it rose to 76% from 73% the previous quarter.

Only 8% said they distrust him, while 17% were undecided, according to the December poll.

Mr. Borja said shifts in overall attitudes and political support are expected because “we are in a period of political repolarization.”

“Mr. Marcos had no sense of the real problems of Filipinos and failed to appreciate the complementarity of equity and distribution to efficiency as the country recovered from the pandemic,” Leonardo A. Lanzona, Jr. who teaches economics at Ateneo de Manila University, said via Messenger.

“His government never had any viable program that was presented and discussed to the public,” he added, noting that Ms. Robredo, in contrast, has been emphasizing the need to focus on the laylayan or the marginalized.

“The impact of the pandemic was greater for the poor in disadvantaged regions,” he noted. The returns of government investments in health, education and infrastructure would have been higher if these were targeted to the poor regions where agriculture is more prominent, he added.

Hansley A. Juliano, who teaches political science at the same university, said the WR Numero poll suggests there still seems to be a large section of the population not inclined towards the Marcoses.

But the opposition had failed to convert them, he said via Messenger chat.

“That sizable 29.4% who were undecided cannot become opposition supporters if opposition rhetoric, tactics, spokesperson and “fronting/facing” organizations do not change tactics.”

Mr. Juliano said the opposition needs to “aggressively engineer local alliances and movements that can shift congressional composition in 2025.”

Mr. Marcos, 66, won an unprecedented majority in the Philippine post-EDSA electoral history with over 31 million votes, against Ms. Robredo’s over 14 million votes, WR Numero noted. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Davao water price rate up 20%

DAVAO CITY — The Davao City Water District (DCWD) announced this week a 20% water price rate increase, which takes effect this month and will be reflected in the March billing statement.

DCWD spokesperson Jovana C. Duhaylungsod said the increase marks the second tranche of the previously approved 60% rate adjustment, first proposed in April 2022 and sanctioned by the Local Water Utilities Administration.

Citing the price adjustment as “already long overdue,” she said it would do well in enabling the DCWD to work on more service improvement projects throughout the city.

Since this second tranche of the water rate adjustment should have been implemented last year, the third and last tranche — a 10 % increase — would likely be implemented in the latter part of 2024. “We will announce once it is approved and will be reflected in the billing,” Ms. Duhaylungsod said.

The DCWD said the proposed rate adjustment is necessary to generate funds for service area expansion and keep up with public and private infrastructure developments in the next 10 years. — Maya M. Padillo

Imee says proposed Department of Culture ‘not happening’

IMELDA “IMEE” R. MARCOS — SENATE PRIB

A PHILIPPINE senator on Wednesday rejected the proposal to create a separate Department of Culture (DoC) since the government is in the middle of streamlining and “rightsizing” the bureaucracy.

“It is not happening (Department of Culture). That’s the reality,” Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos said during a Senate Foreign Relations hearing in mixed English and Filipino. “We are rightsizing the government and, as you know, the government is still looking for money to recover… It’s very unlikely that you will get a new department.”

Ivan Anthony S. Henares, secretary general for the Philippine National Commission for UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), had called for the creation of the new department that would take on cultural affairs and streamline the programs of agencies that deal with programs promoting Filipino culture.

Several bills have been filed before the House of Representatives calling for the establishment of the DoC to coordinate state efforts in promoting national identity and culture.

Ms. Marcos also pushed for the ratification of the 19-year-old 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression, which aims to promote the creation of state policies to promote cultural activities and values.

“This overwhelming delay simply underlies the lack of prioritization of culture and the arts in the Philippines. It’s tremendously sad. And truly unacceptable,” she said. – John Victor D. Ordoñez

DLSU, NU open UAAP volleyball against separate counterparts

DE LA SALLE UNIVERSITY LADY SPIKERS — FACEBOOK.COM/WEARETHEUAAP

REIGNING queen De La Salle University (DLSU) and long-time king National University (NU) begin their title defense against separate counterparts in an explosive opening weekend of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 86 volleyball tournaments at the Mall of Asia Arena.

De La Salle tests the mettle of Adamson University at 4 p.m. on Saturday for the women’s first salvo followed by a rematch in the men’s division between three-time champion NU and runner-up University of Santo Tomas (UST) at 12 noon on Sunday as per the full first-round schedule released by the league.

Both DLSU and NU ruled the women’s and women’s tournaments last edition by sweeping NU and UST in the finals, respectively. Joining the La Salle-Adamson tilt on the much-awaited opening day are the new-look Ateneo de Manila University and University of the East squads under new head coaches in their battle at 2 p.m. The men’s counterparts of four squads will also plunge into action in the morning matches.

For Sunday’s bill, rivals NU and UST will also collide in the women’s play at 4 p.m. after the 2 p.m. duel between Far Eastern University and the University of the Philippines. Before that are games between their men’s teams.

The opening weekend will feature a bevy of new coaches led by Adamson’s JP Yude, who came off a historic and perfect championship run with the Lady Baby Falcons in the girls’ volleyball.

Oliver Almadro, now with UP after a long stint with Ateneo, NU’s Norman Miguel, Manolo Refugia (FEU), Jerry Yee (UE) and Brazilian Sergio Veloso (Ateneo) in the women’s division will also make their debuts. Other key match-ups in Round 1 feature a rematch on March 16 between La Salle and former champion NU after taking turns at winning the UAAP women’s crowns in the past two seasons.

That gigantic battle will mark another anticipated fiery exchange between young stars NU’s Bella Belen and La Salle’s Angel Canino, who were hailed as the Rookie-Most Valuable Players in the last two seasons.

The Blue Eagles, with Mr. Veloso on deck, meet their former mentor Mr. Almadro and the Fighting Maroons on Feb. 28 as the Lady Warriors, now with former Adamson Mr. Yee, take on Mr. Yude and the Lady Falcons on March 3.

De La Salle is still under the tutelage of legendary mentor Ramil de Jesus as seasoned tactician “Kungfu” Reyes handles UST as the only coaches staying with their respective teams this season. — John Bryan Ulanday

Creamline Cool Smashers gun for PVL All-Filipino Conference ‘three-peat’

CREAMLINE COOL SMASHERS — PVL.PH

THE CREAMLINE COOL Smashers seek a third straight All-Filipino Conference title when the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) season unfurls Tuesday at the PhilSports Complex in Pasig City.

“Definitely, we want to achieve our goal, which is to win a third straight All-Filipino Conference (AFC) title,” said Creamline team captain Alyssa Valdez on Wednesday’s season launch at the Discovery Suites in Pasig City.

Ms. Valdez and the amazing Cool Smashers copped their second AFC crown with a two-game sweep of sister team Choco Mucho last December that hiked his championship total to six — the most in league history.

The storied franchise takes the floor on Feb. 24 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum against a souped up, Jerry Yee-mentored Farm Fresh in this league that implements a single-round robin elimination format where the top four advances to the semis in another single-round affair.

The top two then advance to the knockout finals.

Ushering in the tournament two games pitting Petro Gazz against newcomer Strong Group Athletics at 4 p.m. and Chery Tiggo with another rookie squadx Capital1 Solar Energy, a team managed by sisters Milka and Mandy Romero and mentored by multi-titled Roger Gorayeb, at 6 p.m.

Other teams seeing action are Choco Mucho, Akari, Cignal, PLDT, Nxled and Galeries Tower.

“It’s going to be an exciting season,” said PVL President Ricky Palou, who was accompanied by Chairman Tonyboy Liao, Commissioner Sherwin Malonzo and Cignal’s Carissa Guilas and Mico Halili.

Games will be aired on free-to-air on One Sports, in HD on One Sports+, and streamed on the league’s official website PVL.ph.

It will also be shown on RPTV Channel 9. — Joey Villar

MVPs and standouts boost PLDT High Speed Hitters

PLDT has high hopes of contending for the title after recently acquiring three former Most Valuable Players (MVPs) in Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron and Kim Fajardo to join an already formidable cast headed by Fil-Canadian Savannah Davison and newly minted skipper Kath Arado.

FROM one Most Valuable Player (MVP) to another, PLDT President and Chief Executive Officer Manny V. Pangilinan wished the PLDT High Speed Hitters when they launch their campaign in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference kicking off Tuesday at the PhilSports Arena.

“The goal is to have as many Filipino volleyball athletes as possible representing us in international events — and maybe even the Olympics,” Mr. Pangilinan told the High Speed Hitters during a recent courtesy call at the company’s headquarters in Makati City.

“We will continue to work with partner leagues and organizations to help make this possible. Of course, the work begins with our team. They make us very proud, and we hope they continue to play their hearts out on the court,” he added.

PLDT has high hopes of contending for the title after recently acquiring three former Most Valuable Players in Kianna Dy, Majoy Baron and Kim Fajardo to join an already formidable cast headed by Fil-Canadian Savannah Davison and newly minted skipper Kath Arado.

Ms. Arado took the captaincy after her predecessor, Mika Reyes, injured her right shoulder and will be out for at least eight months.

Rald Ricafort is PLDT coach.

“We are excited to see volleyball court action resume this February. As always, we are here to support the PLDT High Speed Hitters in this new season. We also hope to give a more exhilarating experience to the fans watching live on the sidelines of the games as they support this powerhouse team,” said Jude Turcuato, Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart. — Joey Villar

ONE Championship and U-NEXT to air live ONE events in Japan

TOKYO — U-NEXT, a video streaming service operated by USEN-NEXT GROUP, has announced an official broadcast partnership with ONE Championship to provide exclusive live and on-demand access to ONE’s blockbuster events to fans in Japan.

ONE Championship features world-class martial arts action across several combat sports disciplines including mixed martial arts (MMA), Muay Thai, kickboxing, and submission grappling.

With flyweight kickboxing megastar Takeru, former ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Shinya Aoki, former ONE Bantamweight Kickboxing World Champion Hiroki Akimoto, atomweight MMA contenders Itsuki Hirata and Ayaka Miura, and many more, U-NEXT will showcase the very best martial artists from not only Japan, but all across the globe.

Programming will be available with both English and Japanese commentary.

Chatri Sityodtong, chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of ONE Championship, stated: “ONE is honored to kick off this partnership with U-NEXT, one of Japan’s hottest platforms for live sports content. Bringing ONE back to Tokyo last month allowed us to once again feel the deep-rooted passion for martial arts in the region. Through this partnership with U-NEXT, we can’t wait to continue delivering world-class martial arts action to all of our fans in Japan.”

Tenshin Tsutsumi, president and CEO of U-NEXT, stated: “We are delighted to announce that ONE Championship with millions of passionate fans in over 190 countries worldwide is now our exclusive partner in Japan. U-NEXT strives to provide our beloved Japanese athletes a global platform to showcase their skills and share their incredible stories. ONE Championship is known for its thrilling live events, and the organization features a plethora of Japanese martial artists who compete on the world stage.”

Super Bowl LVIII smashes US viewership record

NEW YORK — The Kansas City Chiefs’ overtime defeat of the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl, with Taylor Swift cheering in the stands, drew a record 123.7 million US viewers, according to Nielsen estimates on Tuesday.

It was not only the largest viewership recorded in the 58-year-history of the Super Bowl, but also, according to Nielsen data, the biggest US audience for any event since the first astronauts walked on the moon in 1969.

The National Football League championship averaged 120.3 million viewers on CBS alone on Sunday, topping last year’s audience for the Super Bowl, which drew a record 115.1 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

Additional viewers watched the game on kid-friendly Nickelodeon channels, the Spanish-language broadcast on Univision, and on streaming services such as Paramount+ and NFL+. The audience figure also includes those who watched in places such as bars and restaurants.

CBS reported a slightly smaller audience of 123.4 million on Monday, relying on preliminary data.

By comparison, an estimated 125 million to 140 million people watched US astronauts take the first steps on the moon on July, 20, 1969. The event was shown on three broadcast networks, the only television channels at the time.

Sunday’s game featured a halftime performance by R&B superstar Usher, who was joined by Alicia Keys, H.E.R., will.i.am, Lil Jon and Ludacris.

Ms. Swift, who is dating Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, was shown celebrating, chugging a drink and biting her nails during tense moments from a suite at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

“There were several factors driving unprecedented buzz for the big game, from the record-breaking ad spend to the Taylor Swift effect,” said Ashwin Navin, co-founder and CEO of Samba TV, a data and measurement firm that estimated the game was watched in 39 million homes.

BETTING SETS RECORD
The value of bets placed in Nevada sportsbooks on this year’s Super Bowl in Las Vegas between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers set a record, according to unaudited figures provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

A total of $185.6 million was wagered across Nevada’s 182 sportsbooks, up from the $153.2 million wagered on last year’s Super Bowl and above the previous record of $179.8 million set in 2022, the data released late on Monday showed.

Nevada sportsbooks kept a combined $6.8 million from Super Bowl bets for a hold percentage of 3.7% compared with last year when they kept $4.3 million for a hold percentage of 2.8%.

The Chiefs, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, beat the 49ers 25-22 in overtime of the Super Bowl on Sunday to become the National Football League’s first repeat champions since the New England Patriots in February 2005. — Reuters

Man City beats Copenhagen in Champions League last 16 first leg

COPENHAGEN — Manchester City survived a scare to beat FC Copenhagen 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Parken Stadium on Tuesday, with Phil Foden scoring late to ensure a two-goal cushion ahead of the second leg.

With the Danes still on their winter break, Man City dominated the opening exchanges and they took the lead in the 10th minute when Kevin De Bruyne scored with a brilliant first-time finish across the keeper and in at the far post.

Man City continued to press and the home side’s box began to look like the shooting gallery at Copenhagen’s Tivoli fairground until an injury to Jack Grealish briefly derailed them, forcing Pep Guardiola to send on Jeremy Doku instead.

The home side shocked the visitors in the 34th minute thanks to a goal from Magnus Mattsson, who probably could not have imagined a better debut when he joined the club from Dutch side NEC Nijmegen on Feb. 1.

A poorly hit pass from City keeper Ederson fell to Mohamed Elyounoussi and his blocked shot fell into the path of Mr. Mattsson, who curled a beautiful strike inside the right-hand post to send the home fans’ plastic cups of beer flying into the chilly night air in celebration. Unfortunately it was not to last and their team fell behind again just before the break when Mr. De Bruyne’s persistence in a block tackle saw the ball fall to Bernardo Silva, who finished deftly with his left foot.

The Copenhagen defense looked like they had managed to hold firm but Mr. Foden cut in from the left in second-half stoppage time to rifle home a third goal and make it 11 wins on the trot for the English champions.

The Belgian may have been happy to give FC Copenhagen credit but he still believed that his side should have been more effective in front of goal.

The two sides meet in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on March 6. — Reuters

NY filing protest over last-second foul call in 105-103 loss to Rockets

THE NEW YORK (NY) Knicks filed a protest with the league to dispute Monday’s 105-103 loss to the host Houston Rockets, citing concerns about the validity of the last-second foul call that made the scoring difference, according to a report Tuesday by ESPN.

In the closing moments of Monday’s game, Knicks guard Jalen Brunson pulled New York even by hitting a 15-foot jumper with 8.7 seconds remaining. Aaron Holiday then attempted a desperation heave just before the buzzer, and Mr. Brunson was called for a foul on the play.

Mr. Holiday broke the tie by sinking two free throws with 0.3 second remaining and intentionally missing the third to play out the clock.

The game crew’s chief, Ed Malloy, acknowledged after the game that the foul was an incorrect call, as did the league’s Last Two Minute Report (L2M) report, a play-by-play report that covers all calls in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.

Mr. Malloy said the refs believed “the lower body contact was illegal contact” as they saw it live, but that a replay review changed their opinions.

“After seeing it during postgame review, the offensive player was able to return to a normal playing position on the floor,” Mr. Malloy said. “The contact which occurred after the release of the ball therefore is incidental and marginal to the shot attempt and should not have been called.”

The Knicks and Rockets are not scheduled to play each other the rest of this season, so if the protest was upheld, it’s unclear how it would be resolved, but one possibility includes picking up the tie game with the start of overtime. — Reuters

US rejected Putin’s suggestion of Ukraine ceasefire — sources

MOSCOW/LONDON — Russian President Vladimir Putin’s suggestion of a ceasefire in Ukraine to freeze the war was rejected by the United States after contacts between intermediaries, three Russian sources with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters.

The failure of Mr. Putin’s approach ushers in a third year of the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War II and illustrates just how far apart the world’s two largest nuclear powers remain.

A US source denied there had been any official contact and said Washington would not engage in talks that did not involve Ukraine.

Mr. Putin sent signals to Washington in 2023 in public and privately through intermediaries, including through Moscow’s Arab partners in the Middle East and others, that he was ready to consider a ceasefire in Ukraine, the Russian sources said.

Mr. Putin was proposing to freeze the conflict at the current lines and was unwilling to cede any of the Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia, but the signal offered what some in the Kremlin saw as the best path towards peace of some kind.

“The contacts with the Americans came to nothing,” a senior Russian source with knowledge of the discussions in late 2023 and early 2024 told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

A second Russian source with knowledge of the contacts told Reuters that the Americans told Moscow, via the intermediaries, they would not discuss a possible ceasefire without the participation of Ukraine and so the contacts ended in failure.

A third source with knowledge of the discussions said: “Everything fell apart with the Americans.” The source said that the Americans did not want to pressure Ukraine.

The extent of the contacts — and their failure — has not previously been reported.

It comes as US President Joseph R. Biden has for months been pushing Congress to approve more aid for Ukraine but has faced opposition from allies of Republican presidential nomination frontrunner Donald Trump.

The Kremlin, the White House, the US State Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) all declined to comment.

US SAYS ‘NO BACK CHANNEL’
Mr. Putin sent thousands of troops into Ukraine in February 2022, triggering a full-scale war after eight years of conflict in eastern Ukraine between Ukrainian forces on the one side and pro-Russian Ukrainians and Russian proxies on the other.

Ukraine says it is fighting for its existence and the West casts Putin’s invasion as an imperial-style land grab that challenges the post-Cold War international order.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he will never accept Russia’s control over Ukrainian land. He has outlawed any contacts with Russia.

A US official, speaking in Washington on condition of anonymity, said that the US has not engaged in any back channel discussions with Russia and that Washington had been consistent in not going behind the back of Ukraine.

The US official said that there appeared to have been unofficial “Track II” conversations among Russians not in the government but that the United States was not engaged in them.

The US official said Mr. Putin’s proposal, based on what has been publicly reported, was unchanged from past demands that Russia hold on to Ukrainian territory. The official suggested that there appeared to be frustration in Moscow that Washington had repeatedly refused to accept it.

Mr. Putin told US talk-show host Tucker Carlson last week that Russia was ready for “dialogue.”

CONTACTS
Intermediaries met in Turkey in late 2023, according to three Russian sources.

A fourth diplomatic source said that there had been Russian-US unofficial contacts through intermediaries at Russia’s initiative but that they appeared to have come to nothing.

The US official said he was unaware of unofficial contact through intermediaries.

According to three Russian sources, Mr. Putin’s signal was relayed to Washington, where top US officials including White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Central Intelligence Agency Director Bill Burns and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met.

The idea was that Mr. Sullivan would speak to Mr. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, and set out the next steps, one of the Russian sources said.

But when the call came in January, Mr. Sullivan told Mr. Ushakov that Washington was willing to talk about other aspects of the relationship but would not speak about a ceasefire without Ukraine, said one of the Russian sources.

The US official refused to be drawn on any details of Sullivan’s purported calls, or whether such a conversation with Mr. Ushakov took place.

PUTIN ‘READY TO FIGHT ON’
One of the Russian sources expressed frustration with the United States over Washington’s insistence that it would not nudge Ukraine towards talks given that the United States was helping to fund the war.

“Putin said: ‘I knew they wouldn’t do anything’,” another of the Russian sources said. “They cut off the root of the contacts which had taken two months to create.”

Another Russian source said that the United States did not appear to believe Putin was sincere.

“The Americans didn’t believe Putin was genuine about a ceasefire — but he was and is — he is ready to discuss a ceasefire. But equally Putin is also ready to fight on for as long as it takes — and Russia can fight for as long as it takes,” the Russian source said.

The Kremlin sees little point in further contacts with the United States on the issue, the Russian sources said, so the war would continue. — Reuters

Indonesia counts votes in presidential race amid calls for clean election

FREEPIK

JAKARTA — Indonesian authorities were counting votes cast on Wednesday in the world’s biggest single-day election, headlined by the race to succeed President Joko Widodo, whose influence could determine who takes the country’s helm.

The race to replace Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, pits two former governors, Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan, against controversial frontrunner Prabowo Subianto, the defense minister and a former special forces commander feared in the 1990s as a top lieutenant of Indonesia’s late strongman ruler Suharto.

Initial indications of the result are expected to emerge later on Wednesday, based on independent pollsters’ ‘quick counts’ of publicly counted votes from a sampling of stations across the country. In previous elections, the unofficial counts have proven to be accurate.

Election laws prohibit publication of quick counts before 0800 GMT. The General Election Commission is expected to announce official results by March 20 at the latest.

All eyes are on the presidential race and the fate of Jokowi’s plans to establish the country as an electric vehicle hub and extend a massive infrastructure push, including a multibillion-dollar plan to move the capital city.

Two surveys last week projected Mr. Prabowo, who has promised to continue Jokowi’s programs, will win the majority of votes and avoid a second round.

Those surveys showed Mr. Prabowo with 51.8% and 51.9% support, with Anies and Ganjar 27 and 31 points adrift, respectively. To win outright, a candidate needs over 50% of votes and to secure 20% of the ballot in half of the country’s provinces.

Novan Maradona, 42, an entrepreneur, said after voting in central Jakarta he wanted a candidate who would continue policies currently in place.

“If we start over from zero, it will take time,” he said.

Indonesia has three time zones and most polling stations across the country had closedby 6 a.m. GMT.

Voting got off to a slow start in Jakarta, with thunderstorms causing flooding in parts of the capital. About 70 polling stations were affected, but it was not clear whether any delays would impact turnout. Turnout in past elections has been about 75%.

Some polling stations in Central Java and Bali were decked out in pink and white Valentine’s Day decorations, while others in West Java province handed out fruit to waiting voters.

CALL FOR CLEAN ELECTION
Undecided voters will be critical to former Jakarta governor Anies and ex-Central Java governor Ganjar, to try to force a runoff in June between the top two finishers.

“I want to underline that we want honest and fair elections so that it becomes peaceful,” Anies said at a polling station.

Deadly riots broke out after the 2019 election, when Mr. Prabowo, who has run previously for president, had initially contested Jokowi’s victory.

Some 200,000 security personnel are on guard.

“So far, the situation is safe, under control,” said National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo. “We will keep monitoring until the voting process is done and we are prepared for any impact after the voting.”

Anies has campaigned on promises of change and preventing a backsliding in the democratic reforms achieved in the 25 years since the end of Suharto’s authoritarian, kleptocratic rule.

Ganjar hails from the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle, of which Jokowi is ostensibly a member, and has campaigned largely on continuing the president’s policies, but crucially lacks his endorsement.

Before voting, he also called for a clean election so that candidates could accept the result.

Mr. Prabowo said on Wednesday he hoped the “voting process goes well.”

The defense minister is contesting his third election after twice losing to Jokowi, who is tacitly backing his former rival, seen as a continuity candidate to preserve his legacy, including a role for his son as Prabowo’s running mate.

During his decade in office, Jokowi pushed to attract investment, introducing laws that slashed red tape and streamlined business rules. His administration’s efforts to contain inflation have benefited millions and per capita income has risen, according to World Bank data.

PRABOWO REBRAND
Mr. Prabowo, 72, has pledged to continue Jokowi’s policies and at the same time transformed his image from a fiery-tempered nationalist to a cuddly grandfather figure with awkward dance moves.

Mr. Prabowo’s gentler characterization, played out largely on short video app TikTok, has endeared him to voters under 40, who make up more than half of the 204.8 million electorate.

A 25-year-old student Keko Iyeres said he wanted to see improved education and justice.

“I like Prabowo because he is aggressive but can also be gentle. We need a leader like that. And I see that Jokowi also supports him.”

But Jokowi’s intimated support for Mr. Prabowo, plus allegations he interfered in a court ruling to allow his son to contest the vice presidency, have prompted criticism that unlike previous presidents he is not staying neutral over his succession.

Jokowi’s loyalists have rejected that, and it is unclear if the allegations will impact Mr. rabowo.

Asked about allegations of foul play, including in a documentary called “Dirty Vote” that went viral on social media this week, Jokowi said there were mechanisms to report issues.

“If there is cheating on the ground, that can be reported to Bawaslu (the election watchdog) and then… a petition can be brought to the constitutional court.” — Reuters