DOMINANT ANGLE
Manila sees Lula's re-election as a setback for the Latin American conservative wave and a defeat for the Trump administration, far more than an electoral dispute.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Lula wins with 51.8% of the vote and nearly 4.4 million votes ahead of Flávio Bolsonaro, according to the electoral court (Inquirer).
- 02
Flávio Bolsonaro refuses to concede and wants the election annulled due to the two-hour extension of voting decided by the Supreme Court (GMA News).
- 03
Trump had imposed a 50% tariff on Brazil in 2025, related to Jair Bolsonaro's trial, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison (Rappler, GMA News).
ANALYSIS
Manille, October 26, 2026. The Philippine press, which relays agency dispatches via GMA News, Rappler, and the Inquirer, presents the re-election of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as a "shocking result" that "defied polls, precedents, and the global anti-incumbent sentiment". According to the electoral court, the 80-year-old president won a fourth, unprecedented term on Sunday, October 25, with 51.8% of the vote and nearly 4.4 million votes ahead of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, who came in first in the first round.
The narrative emphasizes the regional dimension. GMA writes that this victory puts a brake on "a wave of right-wing victories" in Latin America, and Rappler recalled before the vote that a Bolsonaro success would have brought Brazil closer to the United States, in the wake of candidates close to Donald Trump. The Inquirer highlights that the result relieves critics of growing American influence. The articles recall the 50% customs duty imposed in 2025, related to Jair Bolsonaro's trial, which Trump describes as a "witch hunt", new taxes this year, and allegations of American interference, which Washington denies. Reuters, as reported by GMA, revealed on Saturday a campaign within the State Department to help the Bolsonaros return to power.
The contentious aspect is treated as a consequence. Lula had denounced the reduction of buses in São Paulo and other cities as an attempt to prevent people from voting and demanded an extension; the Supreme Court extended voting by two hours. Flávio Bolsonaro, whose campaign had also requested a delay due to rains in the south, is calling for annulment, which recalls the attitude of his father, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for plotting a coup. Mario Braga, an analyst at RANE, judges it "very unlikely" that the result will be overturned, while not excluding right-wing protests.
Rappler finally nuances the triumph: the fourth term could be difficult in the face of a conservative Congress, high public debt, and high interest rates, after a campaign dominated by corruption scandals, price increases, and an electorate that judged Lula to be disconnected from the app economy.
