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Philippine Midterms Underway as Marcos-Duterte Rivalry Shapes Nation’s Future

The Senate race holds critical implications for Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial and the 2028 presidential election.

FILE - Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte gestures as she speaks during a press conference in Manila, Philippines on Feb. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe, File)
FILE - Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is seen on a screen in the courtroom of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, March 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, Pool, file)
People walk past a street with campaign posters put up, a day before the May 12 midterm elections, in Manila, Philippines, May 11, 2025. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David
FILE - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center right, and Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, greet during the inauguration ceremony at National Museum on June 30, 2022 in Manila, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, file)

Overview

  • Millions of Filipinos are voting in midterm elections, with the Senate contest pivotal for determining the outcome of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial in July.
  • The election is seen as a referendum on the fractured alliance between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Duterte, who have campaigned aggressively for opposing slates.
  • Sara Duterte, impeached on charges of corruption and an alleged assassination plot, needs nine Senate votes to avoid conviction and a lifetime ban from public office.
  • Rodrigo Duterte, detained by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity, remains on the ballot in Davao City, vying for his former role as mayor.
  • Election security is a major concern, with 163,000 police officers deployed following reports of violence, including 16 election-related killings and arrests linked to vote-buying.