Millions of people voted in elections in the Philippines on Monday. The former president, Rodrigo Duterte, who is in prison, was one of the people trying to get one of the 18,000 jobs in the government. Local news showed President Marcos Jr. voting in Batac City.

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

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

People voted at a place called a polling station in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

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

In this picture, the famous boxer Manny Pacquiao shows the ink on his finger after he voted in the Philippines on Monday, May 12, 2025.

This article was written by Teresa Cerojano.

Even though he is in prison, the former President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, was one of the people who tried to win a job in the elections on Monday. About 18,000 jobs in the government were available. Some people who watch politics think these elections will show if he and his family will stay in power.

Since March, Duterte has been held by the International Criminal Court. He is waiting for his trial. People say he committed crimes against humanity when he was president from 2016 to 2022. During this time, many people thought to be using drugs were killed. But this has not stopped him from trying to become the mayor of Davao, a city in the south where he is popular.

In the Philippines, people accused of crimes can still run for election, even if they are in prison. This is allowed unless they have been found guilty by a court and cannot try to change the decision anymore.

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

More than 68 million people in the Philippines could vote on Monday for many different positions.

Voting stopped at 7 p.m., but people who were waiting could still vote. The people running the election said they might know who won soon, but the final results would come in about a week.

People are watching the Senate election closely. This election is important for the political future of Sara Duterte. She is the Vice President and the daughter of the former president. She might have a trial in the Senate in July. This is because some people say she planned to kill the President. They also say she used money from her office in a bad way. She says these stories are not true. She says her political enemies are telling these stories to harm her.

Many people think Sara Duterte could be president in 2028. But if the Senate finds her guilty, she will lose her job as vice president and cannot work for the government. To be found not guilty, she needs at least nine of the 24 senators to say yes.

Maria Ela Atienza, a professor from the University of the Philippines, said the 2025 elections are very important. She said they will show what will happen next and which group will be strongest in the 2028 elections.

She said if Sara Duterte is found guilty in the trial, it could mean the Duterte family will not have important jobs in the country anymore.

Rodrigo Duterte was impeached, arrested, and sent to court in The Hague. This happened because Marcos and Sara Duterte had problems with each other. They had different political ideas and wanted different things.

On Monday, Sara Duterte voted in Davao. Marcos voted in Batac City. This is his hometown in the north.

After she voted, she told reporters that she would accept the decision of the voters, even if the people she supported did not win.

She said her father would not be there if he won. She thought the vice mayor, Sebastian, would be the temporary mayor.

In a video before the election, Marcos asked people in the Philippines to vote and say what they think.

Her father's religious adviser and friend, Apollo Quiboloy, wants to be a senator. But he is in prison because people say he did bad things like hurting women and selling people. The U.S. also wants him for the same reasons.

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

Fights between people who supported different candidates made voting late in some places. In Manila, some people who wanted to vote said their names were not on the list where they were supposed to vote. Other people were not happy about waiting in a long line when it was very hot.

Reymark Marquez, a voter, said the Marcos-Duterte team that won in 2022 did not do what they promised. He said the elections in the middle of the term are not just about Duterte and Marcos. They are about choosing good leaders.

"I think this election is important for the future of our children," said Diana Joy Acosta, a 32-year-old new mother. She voted at a school in Mandaluyong City in Manila. She hopes the new leaders will stop corruption and be honest for her baby's future.