Millions of people voted in the Philippines on Monday. Former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is in prison, was one of the candidates. They were trying to win 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 ink on his finger after he voted in Batac City.

A man is seen casting his vote at a polling station in Quezon City, Philippines, on Monday, May 12, 2025.

On Monday, May 12, 2025, people voted in Quezon City, Philippines. They voted at a place called a polling station.

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

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

This article was written by Teresa Cerojano.

Even though he is in The Hague, the former leader of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, was one of the people trying to get one of the 18,000 jobs in the national and local elections on Monday. Experts say these elections will show if he and his family will stay in power.

Since March, Duterte has been held by the International Criminal Court, waiting for his trial. He is accused of crimes against humanity during his presidency from 2016 to 2022. These crimes relate to a harsh campaign against illegal drugs, which led to the deaths of thousands of suspected drug users and sellers. Despite being held, he is still running for mayor of Davao city, a place where he has strong support in the south.

In the Philippines, people who are accused of crimes can run in elections, even if they are in prison. They can only not run if a court has said they are guilty and they cannot try to change the decision.

Many people think Duterte will win the election to be mayor in Davao. He was mayor there 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 some senators, all the members of the House of Representatives, and many local leaders in different areas.

Voting finished at 7 p.m., but people who were still waiting could vote. The first results might be ready soon, and the final results will be shared in about a week.

People are watching the Senate election carefully. It could decide what happens next for Vice President Sara Duterte, who is the daughter of the former president. She might have a trial in the Senate in July. People say she planned to hurt President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and used money from her office in a bad way. But she says these things are not true. She says her political enemies are saying these things to hurt her.

Many people think Sara Duterte might be president in 2028. But if the Senate says she did something wrong, she will stop being vice president and cannot work for the government. To be found innocent, she needs at least nine of the 24 senators to say she is okay.

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

She said that 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 lost his job and went to court in The Hague. This happened because Marcos and Sara Duterte stopped agreeing. They had different ideas about politics and what they wanted.

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

She told reporters after she voted that she would accept the voters' decision if her candidates did not win.

She said about her father possibly winning: 'He won't be here, so we think the vice mayor (Sebastian) will be the mayor for a time.'

The day before the election, Marcos made a video. In it, he asked people in the Philippines to vote and share what they thought.

Her father's religious friend, Apollo Quiboloy, wants to be a senator. But he is in prison for serious crimes. The U.S. also wants him for the same crimes.

There were problems with voting because of violence in some places. For example, in one city, two people died and seven were hurt in a shooting. In another town, supporters of two people who wanted to be mayor had a gunfight, and two people died and two were hurt. In the south, seven people were killed in shootings that people think were about the election. Many other people were also hurt in shootings in different parts of the country.

In some areas, voting was delayed by clashes between supporters of opposing candidates. In Manila, some voters reported that their names were not on the list for their polling station. Others were frustrated by the long wait in the intense heat.

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 president's time are not just about Duterte against Marcos. He said they are about choosing good leaders.

"I think this election is important for our children's future," said Diana Joy Acosta, a new mother. She voted in Manila. She wants the new leaders to stop corruption and be honest, for her baby's future.