Millions of Filipinos voted in midterm elections on Monday, including former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is in prison.

In this picture from the Presidential Communications Office, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is in the middle, showing the special ink on his finger after voting at a polling place in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

An individual is seen casting their vote at a polling station situated in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

On Monday, May 12, 2025, citizens exercised their right to vote at a designated polling station in Quezon City, Philippines.

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte speaks and makes a hand movement while talking to reporters after voting in Davao City in the southern Philippines on Monday, May 12, 2025.

In this picture from Team Pacquiao, the famous Filipino boxer and former politician Manny Pacquiao shows the ink on his finger after he voted at a school in the southern Philippines on Monday, May 12, 2025.

This article was penned by Teresa Cerojano.

Even though he is in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was a candidate in Monday's elections. People say these elections will decide if he and his family keep their political power.

Since March, Duterte has been held by the International Criminal Court. He is waiting for a trial for crimes against humanity. These crimes happened during a violent campaign against illegal drugs when he was president from 2016 to 2022. Thousands of people died during this campaign. However, this has not prevented him from trying to become mayor of his main city in the south, Davao.

In the Philippines, people accused of crimes, even if they are in jail, can run for election unless they have been found guilty and have no more chances to appeal.

Many people think Duterte will win the election for mayor of Davao. He was mayor there for over 20 years before he became president. But it's not clear how he can be mayor if he is in prison.

More than 68 million people in the Philippines were registered to vote on Monday for elections. They voted for half of the 24 Senate members, all 317 seats in the House of Representatives, and different jobs in local areas.

Voting finished at 7 p.m. in the area, but people still waiting to vote could do so. Election workers said the first results might be ready in a few hours, and the final results would be announced within a week.

People are watching the Senate race closely because it could decide the political future of Sara Duterte. She is the Vice President and the daughter of the former president, Duterte. In July, she will have a trial in the Senate. This is because people say she planned to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and misused money meant for intelligence. She says these claims are false and were started by her political enemies to hurt her.

Many people see Sara Duterte as a likely candidate for president in 2028. However, if the Senate finds her guilty, she will lose her position as vice president and will not be allowed to work in government. To be found innocent, she must get at least nine of the 24 senators to vote for her.

According to Maria Ela Atienza, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, the 2025 midterm elections will be very important because the results will show which family or group will be strongest in the 2028 elections.

If Sara Duterte is found guilty in the impeachment trial, it might mean the Duterte family will stop having important jobs in the country, she stated. Other family members in the election are Rodrigo Duterte’s youngest son, Sebastian, the current mayor of Davao, who is now running for vice mayor and is very likely to win. His oldest son Paolo wants to be elected again as a member of the House of Representatives. Two grandsons are also trying to win in local elections.

Rodrigo Duterte was impeached, arrested, and sent to the court in The Hague after Marcos and Sara Duterte had disagreements because of political issues and wanting different things.

Earlier on Monday, Sara Duterte voted in Davao, and Marcos voted in Batac City, his hometown in the north.

After voting, she told reporters she would respect the voters' decision if the candidates she supported lost.

Speaking about her father’s likely win, she said, “He will definitely not be here. We expect the vice mayor, Sebastian, to be the acting mayor.”

On the day before the election, Marcos sent a video message encouraging Filipinos to vote and share their opinions.

Her father's religious adviser and political friend, Apollo Quiboloy, who is on television, is trying to become a senator. He is in prison because people say he committed sexual abuse and human trafficking. The U.S. also wants him for the same reasons.

There have been some violent incidents during the voting. For example, in Silay City, the police said two people died and seven were injured in a shooting. In the town of New Corella, supporters of two candidates for mayor had a gunfight, and two people died while two were injured. Also, in Basilan, it is thought that seven people were killed in shootings connected to the election. Several others were also hurt in shootings in different places.

Also, arguments between supporters of different candidates stopped voting in some areas. In Manila, some voters said their names were not on the list where they were supposed to vote. Others complained about waiting a long time in the very hot weather.

Voter Reymark Marquez said the Marcos-Duterte team that won in 2022 did not keep their promises. He said the midterm elections are not just about Duterte versus Marcos, but about choosing good leaders.

"I believe that what is important in this election is the future of the next generation," said Diana Joy Acosta, a 32-year-old new mother, after voting in a school in Mandaluyong City, a large city near Manila. She hopes that for her baby's future, there will be no more corruption and that honest politicians will be chosen.