Philippine president's allies set for Senate; Duterte to be mayor
Philippine president's allies set for Senate; Duterte to be mayor
MANILA: Allies of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr looked set to win at least half of the available Senate seats in a midterm election on Monday, an unofficial tally showed, in a contest seen as a referendum on his leadership and a fierce proxy battle with his estranged vice president. Although 18,000 positions including mayors, governors and lawmakers were up for grabs, attention was firmly on the race for the influential Senate, with a bitter row between Marcos and his popular Vice President Sara Duterte dominating an election that could reshape the balance of power in the country of 110 million.
With most votes counted in the unofficial tally, six of the 12 Senate candidates backed by Marcos were on course for seats, signaling strong support for the president and his policy agenda after the dramatic collapse of his once formidable alliance with Duterte, the daughter of maverick former leader Rodrigo Duterte.
Analysts say a Marcos-friendly Senate would not only secure passage of key legislation and backing for his pro-US foreign policy, but it could help him decide the political future of his adversary Duterte, a likely 2028 presidential contender with Marcos limited to a single term. The vote counts showed four allies of Duterte were set to win Senate seats, however, which could give her an important foothold in the high-profile chamber.
Official results from all electoral contests were expected to be announced from Tuesday. What began as a united front that swept the 2022 election unraveled last year into an acrimonious feud, marked by a torrent of personal accusations and a bid to impeach Duterte on allegations she misused funds, amassed unexplained wealth and threatened to assassinate Marcos, the first lady and the House speaker.
High-stakes contest
Ederson Tapia, a political scientist at the University of Makati, said that while the voting was going in Marcos' favor, his influence over the Senate would not be guaranteed. "We will see even more fragmentation at the Senate, especially, since many will jockey for 2028," he said of the next presidential election. "Duterte's influence cannot be written off altogether." The Senate contest is critical, with its 24 members to become jurors if an impeachment trial goes ahead, where Duterte faces removal from office and a lifetime ban. At least 16 votes - a two-thirds majority - are needed to convict her.
Fueling the flames of the already charged election was former President Rodrigo Duterte's arrest by Philippine police in March at the request of the International Criminal Court, where he is detained and facing trial over a "war on drugs" during which thousands were killed. Both Dutertes have denied wrongdoing and have challenged the proceedings against them. Sara Duterte has accused Marcos of trying to destroy their family politically and of selling out sovereignty in giving up a former president to a foreign court, both of which he has rejected. Despite the elder Duterte's detention in The Hague, unofficial results showed he was set to be elected mayor in a landslide in his hometown Davao City, with his son as vice mayor. — Reuters
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