Millions of people voted in the elections in the Philippines on Monday. Former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is in prison, was one of the candidates. They were trying to win about 18,000 jobs in the government. Local news showed President Marcos Jr. voting in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

In this photo, the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., shows the ink on his finger after he voted in Batac City on Monday, May 12, 2025.

A man votes at a polling station in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Voters went to a polling station in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025, to vote.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte talked to reporters after she voted in Davao City on Monday, May 12, 2025.

This picture shows Manny Pacquiao, a famous boxer from the Philippines. He is showing his finger with ink after he voted in Kiamba on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Teresa Cerojano is the author of this article.

Even though he is in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was one of the people trying to get one of the 18,000 jobs in the country and in local areas in Monday's elections. People who study politics say these elections will show if he and his family will stay strong in politics.

Since March, Duterte has been held by the International Criminal Court. He is waiting for a trial for bad things he did when he was president from 2016 to 2022. He fought strongly against illegal drugs, and many people died. Even though he is held, he is still trying to become the mayor of Davao city, where he is very popular.

In the Philippines, people accused of crimes can still run for election, even if they are in prison. They can only not run if a court has found them guilty and they cannot ask a higher court to check the decision.

People think Duterte will win as mayor of Davao again. He was mayor for more than 20 years before he became president. But it is not clear how he can be mayor if he is in prison.

More than 68 million people in the Philippines could vote on Monday. They voted for people in the Senate, the House of Representatives, and for many jobs in local areas like provinces and cities.

Voting stopped at 7 p.m. where people live, but people who were still waiting could vote. People working at the election said the first results might be ready soon, and the final results would be shared in about a week.

Many people are watching the Senate election closely. This election is very important for the future of Vice President Sara Duterte. She is the daughter of the former president. Some people say she planned to kill President Marcos Jr. and used money from her office wrongly. Because of these claims, she might have a trial in the Senate in July. This trial will decide if she can keep her job. But Sara Duterte says these claims are not true. She says her political enemies are trying to harm her.

Many people think Sara Duterte might become president in 2028. But if the Senate says she did something wrong, she will not be vice president anymore and cannot work for the government. To be found innocent, at least nine of the 24 senators need to vote for her.

Maria Ela Atienza, a professor of politics at the University of the Philippines, said the 2025 elections will be very important. She said the results will decide what happens next and which group will win in the 2028 elections.

She said that if Sara Duterte is found guilty, the Duterte family might not have important jobs in the country anymore.

Marcos and Sara Duterte stopped agreeing because they had different ideas about politics and what they wanted. Because of this, Rodrigo Duterte was removed from his job, arrested, and sent to the court in The Hague.

Earlier on Monday, Sara Duterte voted in Davao, while Marcos cast his vote in his northern hometown, Batac City.

After she voted, she told reporters she would accept the result even if her candidates did not win.

She talked about her father winning. She said, "He will not be here. We believe the vice mayor, Sebastian, will be the mayor for a while."

The night before the election, Marcos made a video. In it, he asked people in the Philippines to vote and share their opinions.

Her father's spiritual adviser and political ally, Apollo Quiboloy, is trying to become a senator. However, he is currently in prison because he is accused of serious crimes like sexual abuse and human trafficking. The authorities in the U.S. are also looking for him for similar reasons.

There was some violence during the voting. In Silay City, two people died and seven were hurt in a shooting. In New Corella, supporters of two people who wanted to be mayor had a gunfight, and two people died. In Basilan, seven people were killed in shootings that might be connected to the election. Other people were also hurt in shootings in different places.

Also, fights between groups supporting different candidates stopped voting for a time in some areas. In Manila, some people said their names were not on the voting list. Others were unhappy about the long wait in the hot weather.

Reymark Marquez, a voter, said the Marcos-Duterte team that won in 2022 did not do what they promised. He said the next elections are not only about Duterte against Marcos, but about choosing good leaders.

Diana Joy Acosta, a new mother, voted in Manila. She thinks this election is very important for her child's future. She wants corruption to stop and hopes for honest politicians to be elected.