Philippines Election Results: Duterte Dynasty Maintains Grip on Power
The recent midterm elections in the Philippines have seen the Duterte political dynasty maintain its stronghold on power, with former President Rodrigo Duterte, currently detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC), poised to win the mayoral election in his hometown of Davao City. According to preliminary results from Al Jazeera, five candidates backed by the Duterte family are leading the Senate race, securing a significant boost for Vice President Sara Duterte, Rodrigo’s daughter, who faces impeachment by the Senate in July.
The elections, which saw nearly 69 million people registered to vote, were a crucial test of the Duterte family’s influence and the shifting dynamics between the Duterte and Marcos political dynasties. As Al Jazeera reports, 12 out of 24 Senate seats and all 317 seats in the House of Representatives were up for grabs, with the official results expected to be released within a week.
Election Results: Who Won and Who Lost?
With 97 percent of the votes reported, candidates backed by President Marcos Jr are on course to win six of the 12 seats in the Senate, while Duterte’s supporters, including staunch ally Christopher "Bong" Go, are set to win five seats. One candidate who is winning a seat has been affiliated with both political families. As Al Jazeera notes, Rodrigo Duterte is set to win the mayoral seat in Davao after receiving more than 65 percent of the votes. If he wins, it is likely that the role would be assumed by the city’s vice mayor, a position currently held by his son, Sebastian Duterte.
In the Philippines, candidates facing criminal charges, including those in detention, can run for office unless they are convicted. This has allowed Rodrigo Duterte to continue to play an active role in politics despite his detention at the ICC. The Al Jazeera report highlights that Duterte was the mayor of Davao thrice, serving a total of 22 years.
What’s at Stake?
The elections had significant implications for the country’s politics, with the 24-member Senate set to play a crucial role in determining the fate of Vice President Sara Duterte, who faces impeachment on charges ranging from the misuse of public funds to plotting President Marcos’s assassination. As Al Jazeera notes, Sara Duterte requires the support of nine Senate members to avoid conviction. The 12 elected Senators will form half of the jury in her impeachment trial, which is tentatively set for July.
The Al Jazeera report quotes Sara Duterte as saying that the impeachment is part of a political vendetta as the two families battle for power. The fate of hundreds of governors and thousands of seats for city mayor and municipal mayors were also decided in this election.
The Political Rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte Families
The elections have highlighted the ongoing rivalry between the Marcos and Duterte families, which has been a dominant force in Philippine politics. Sara Duterte is the daughter of former President Duterte, who was arrested and flown to the ICC at The Hague on March 11 by the Marcos Jr administration. As Al Jazeera reports, the elder Duterte was accused of "crimes against humanity" for the estimated deaths of 30,000 people during his tenures as mayor and president.
The Marcos Jr administration has been critical of the Duterte family’s policies, including the war on drugs, which has resulted in the deaths of over 7,000 people, according to police records. Human rights advocates suggest the actual death toll was higher. The Al Jazeera report notes that Marcos Jr allied with the Duterte family during his successful 2022 presidential campaign, with Sara Duterte as his running mate. However, the ties soon soured over policy differences and Marcos’s rejection of the war on drugs launched by Sara Duterte’s father, Rodrigo Duterte.
The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte on a warrant issued by the ICC has further inflamed tension between the two political dynasties. As Al Jazeera reports, Marcos Jr had repeatedly rejected the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) jurisdiction over his country, deeming the ICC "a threat" to the country’s sovereignty. The ongoing rivalry between the two families is likely to continue to shape Philippine politics in the years to come.
