May 14th, 2025
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Millions of Filipinos participated in the midterm elections on Monday, with notable candidates including former President Rodrigo Duterte, competing for approximately 18,000 national and local positions, while President Marcos Jr. was photographed casting his ballot in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.
In this photo from the Presidential Communications Office, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the center, shows the permanent ink on his finger after voting at a polling station in Batac City, Ilocos Norte province, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.
An individual exercises their franchise at a polling station situated in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)
Electors exercised their franchise at a polling place in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte makes a gesture while addressing reporters during a press conference following her vote at a polling station in Davao City, southern Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.
A photograph distributed by Team Pacquiao shows Manny Pacquiao, the renowned Filipino boxer and former senator, displaying the electoral stain on his finger after voting at Kiamba Central Elementary School in Kiamba, Sarangani province, southern Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.
Penned by TERESA CEROJANO
Despite being held in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was a candidate in Monday's midterm elections, where contenders competed for around 18,000 national and local positions, an electoral event analysts believe will determine the future political influence of him and his family.
Since March, Duterte has been in the custody of the International Criminal Court, awaiting trial for crimes against humanity stemming from a brutal campaign against illegal drugs during his 2016-2022 presidency, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of suspected individuals. His detention, however, has not deterred him from pursuing the mayoral position in his southern stronghold of Davao city.
According to Philippine legislation, individuals confronting criminal accusations, including those currently incarcerated, are permitted to seek public office unless they have been found guilty and have pursued all available legal remedies.
Duterte is widely anticipated to secure the position of Davao mayor, a role he occupied for over two decades prior to his presidency. However, the feasibility of his serving as mayor while incarcerated remains uncertain.
On Monday, more than 68 million Filipinos were registered to cast their ballots for half of the 24-member Senate, all 317 seats in the House of Representatives, and numerous positions in provinces, cities, and municipalities.
Voting concluded at 7 p.m. local time, though individuals queuing at polling stations in certain regions retained the right to cast their votes. Election officials indicated that preliminary results could emerge within a few hours, with the definitive outcomes anticipated to be formally disclosed within a week.
The focus is on the Senate race, which could decide the political path of Vice President Sara Duterte, the daughter of the former president. She will have an impeachment trial in the Senate in July because of accusations that she planned to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and misused her office's intelligence money. Vice President Duterte has strongly denied these claims, saying her political enemies are spreading them to harm her.
Sara Duterte is widely regarded as a formidable candidate for the 2028 presidential contest. However, should the Senate find her culpable, she would be removed from her vice-presidential post and precluded from holding public office. To secure an acquittal, she requires the affirmative vote of at least nine of the 24 senators.
According to Maria Ela Atienza, a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, the 2025 midterm elections will be pivotal as their outcome will largely determine the trajectory for subsequent events, particularly which political dynasty or group will wield influence in the 2028 elections.
She said that if Sara Duterte is found guilty in the impeachment trial, it could mean the Duterte family will no longer hold important positions in the country. Other family members are also running in the election. These include Rodrigo Duterte’s youngest son, Sebastian, who is currently the mayor of Davao and is now running for vice mayor. He is expected to win easily. His oldest son, Paolo, wants to be reelected to the House of Representatives. Two grandsons are also running in local elections.
Rodrigo Duterte was impeached, arrested, and sent to the court in The Hague after Marcos and Sara Duterte's relationship ended due to political disagreements and their different goals.
Earlier on Monday, Sara Duterte exercised her right to vote in Davao, whilst Marcos performed the same civic duty in his northern hometown of Batac City.
Following her ballot, she assured journalists that she would respect the democratic outcome, even if the contenders she supported were unsuccessful.
She said about her father's expected win: "He definitely won't be here. We expect the vice mayor, Sebastian, to be the acting mayor."
On the eve of the election, Marcos, in a video address, had exhorted Filipinos to cast their votes and articulate their preferences.
Her father's spiritual advisor and close political friend, televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, is also trying to get a Senate seat. This is happening even though he is in prison because of charges of sexual abuse and human trafficking. The U.S. also wants him for similar crimes.
The electoral process has been significantly disrupted by sporadic outbreaks of violence. In Silay City, located in the central Philippines, authorities confirmed two fatalities and seven injuries resulting from a shooting incident. Further south, in the municipality of New Corella, a gun battle erupted between supporters of two mayoral contenders, leaving two deceased and two wounded. In Basilan, in the southern region, seven individuals were killed in what are suspected to be election-related shootings. Additionally, numerous others sustained injuries in similar incidents across various parts of the nation.
Clashes between supporters of opposing candidates also caused disruptions to voting processes in specific districts. In Manila, several voters reported that their names were absent from the electoral roll in their designated precinct. Furthermore, many expressed dissatisfaction with the lengthy queues in the oppressive heat.
Voter Reymark Marquez stated that the Marcos-Duterte administration, elected in 2022, has not fulfilled its commitments, asserting that the upcoming midterm elections transcend a simple rivalry between Duterte and Marcos, focusing instead on the critical selection of competent leaders.
“I believe the fundamental issue in this election concerns the future of the coming generation,” remarked Diana Joy Acosta, a 32-year-old recent mother, following her vote at a school in metropolitan Manila’s Mandaluyong City. For her child's future, she seeks an end to corruption and the selection of politicians demonstrating integrity.
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