Millions of citizens participated in the midterm elections in the Philippines on Monday, with the incarcerated former president Rodrigo Duterte among those competing for roughly 18,000 governmental and regional positions. Regional news outlets depicted President Marcos Jr. completing his ballot and casting his vote in Batac City, Ilocos Norte.

Provided by the Presidential Communications Office, this photograph depicts Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., positioned centrally, displaying the indelible ink on his finger subsequent to casting his vote at a polling station in Batac City, Ilocos Norte province, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

In Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025, an individual exercises their franchise by casting their ballot at a designated polling station.

Citizens exercised their franchise at a designated polling station in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte gesticulates while addressing the media during a press conference following her vote at a polling station in Davao City, southern Philippines, Monday, May 12, 2025.

This picture from Team Pacquiao depicts Manny Pacquiao, the renowned Filipino boxer and former senator, displaying the permanent ink on his finger after exercising his right to vote at Kiamba Central Elementary School in Kiamba, Sarangani province, located in the southern Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

Penned by TERESA CEROJANO

Even though he is held in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was one of the people trying to win about 18,000 national and local jobs in Monday's midterm elections. Experts think these elections will show if he and his family will keep their political power.

Since March, Duterte has been in the custody of the International Criminal Court, awaiting trial for crimes against humanity stemming from a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs during his 2016-2022 presidency, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of suspected offenders. Despite his detention, he is still pursuing the mayoral position in his southern stronghold of Davao city.

Under Philippine law, people who are accused of crimes, even if they are in jail, can still try to get elected to a position unless they have been found guilty and have used up all their chances to appeal.

Duterte is widely anticipated to secure victory as Davao mayor, a role he occupied for over two decades prior to his presidency. The practicalities of his potential service as mayor from incarceration, however, remain ambiguous.

Over 68 million Filipinos were registered to cast their ballots on Monday to elect half of the 24-member Senate, all 317 representatives to the Lower House, and numerous provincial, city, and municipal officials.

Voting concluded at 7 p.m. local time, yet electors still queuing in designated locations were permitted to submit their votes. Electoral officials stated that preliminary results could be available within hours, with the definitive outcome disseminated over the course of the forthcoming week.

The political future of Vice President Sara Duterte, who is the daughter of former President Duterte, depends on the Senate race. She will have an impeachment trial in the Senate in July. This is because of accusations that she planned to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and misused money from her office's intelligence funds. She says these accusations are not true and that her political enemies are spreading them to harm her.

Sara Duterte is widely regarded as a formidable contender for the 2028 presidential election. However, should she be convicted by the Senate, she would be removed from her position as vice president and barred from holding public office. To secure an acquittal, she would require the support 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 political trajectory, specifically which family or faction will exert dominance in the 2028 elections.

Should Sara Duterte face conviction in the impeachment proceedings, it could portend the decline of the Duterte family's hold on significant national roles, she stated. Among other family members pursuing electoral office are Rodrigo Duterte's youngest son, Sebastian, the current mayor of Davao, who is now a candidate for vice mayor and is largely anticipated to triumph. His eldest son, Paolo, is seeking reelection as a member of the House of Representatives, while two grandsons are likewise competing in local contests.

Rodrigo Duterte was impeached, arrested, and sent to the court in The Hague after Marcos and Sara Duterte had disagreements about politics and wanted different things.

Earlier on Monday, Sara Duterte cast her vote in Davao, whilst Marcos participated in the election in his northern hometown of Batac City.

Following her vote, she informed journalists of her intention to respect the democratic outcome, even if her preferred candidates were unsuccessful.

Regarding her father's anticipated victory, she stated, "He will certainly not be present; we anticipate the vice mayor, Sebastian, will serve as the acting mayor."

On the eve of the election, Marcos, through a video message, implored Filipinos to cast their ballots and assert their influence.

Her father's spiritual advisor and close political friend, the televangelist Apollo Quiboloy, is also trying to get a Senate seat even though he is in prison because of charges of sexual abuse and human trafficking. The police in the U.S. also want him for similar charges.

The electoral process has been significantly marred by scattered incidents of violence. In Silay City, central Philippines, police confirmed two fatalities and seven injuries resulting from a shooting. Further south, in the municipality of New Corella, a gunfight erupted between supporters of two mayoral contenders, leaving two dead and two wounded. In Basilan, seven individuals were killed in what are suspected to be election-related shootings. Numerous others also sustained injuries in similar incidents across various regions of the country.

Clashes between rival factions further hindered the voting process in certain districts, while some voters in Manila reported their names were absent from the electoral roll, and others expressed frustration regarding the prolonged queues in oppressive heat.

According to voter Reymark Marquez, the Marcos-Duterte alliance, which secured victory in 2022, has not fulfilled its commitments, and he believes the upcoming midterm elections transcend the rivalry between Duterte and Marcos, emphasizing instead the selection of competent leaders.

"I think the future of the next generation is at risk in this election," said Diana Joy Acosta, a 32-year-old new mother, after voting at a school in Mandaluyong City, part of metropolitan Manila. For her baby's future, she hopes that corruption will end and that politicians with integrity will be elected.