Latest news with #PhilippinesElection
South China Morning Post
4 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Philippines' Duterte vs Marcos battle for 2028 begins: ‘they've smelled blood'
As the dust settles from the shock of the Philippines ' midterm election, it is clear that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his dynastic rivals, the Dutertes, have fought to a stalemate, with both camps securing an equal number of Senate seats. Advertisement This political deadlock ensures that the immediate focus of national politics will revolve around the rivalry between the two powerful clans. For Marcos' administration, pressing economic and foreign-policy issues are likely to take a back seat to two urgent priorities: removing Sara Duterte-Carpio from the vice-presidency, and preparing for the 2028 presidential race. 'All politicians' attention will be on 2028, on who has the best chance of winning,' said Ronald Llamas, political strategist and former presidential adviser. 'Whether overtly or covertly, politicians will begin to gravitate to whoever is No 1 or No 2 in surveys for the presidential elections,' he told This Week in Asia. Unfortunately for the Marcoses, early surveys have not been kind. President Marcos himself is barred from seeking re-election in 2028 by constitutional term limits, even if his popularity were higher. His cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, has been floated as a potential contender, but his abysmal approval ratings – reportedly less than 1 per cent – make him an unlikely flag-bearer for the Marcos camp. Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio enjoys high approval ratings. Photo: AP By contrast, Duterte-Carpio remains a formidable challenger, buoyed by the enduring popularity of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte . 'Her ratings have dropped but they're still high,' Llamas said.
Khaleej Times
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Philippines' Marcos calls for 30 cabinet secretaries to quit in government 'reset'
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos on Thursday called on about 30 cabinet secretaries to quit in a "bold reset" following his party's less than total victory in recent mid-term elections. Three secretaries announced their resignations as of Thursday morning, with a fourth saying she also intended to resign. The mid-term polls held last week were seen as a referendum on the current administration, and only six out of 11 Marcos-endorsed candidates secured a Senate seat. The 12 newly elected senators will join 12 others already in office as jurors at embattled Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, which could see the Marcos rival permanently barred from public office. The "bold reset" was aimed at giving Marcos room to evaluate the performance of each department and determine which officials "will continue to serve in line with his administration's recalibrated priorities", the Presidential Communications Office said in a statement on Thursday. "This is not about personalities; it's about performance, alignment, and urgency," Marcos said in the statement. "Those who have delivered and continue to deliver will be recognised. But we cannot afford to be complacent." The presidential palace added that government services would not be interrupted during the transition, and stability and meritocracy would guide the selection of his new executive team. Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Finance Secretary Ralph Recto announced Thursday that they have resigned from their posts. Department of Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman also said she would submit her resignation.
South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Violence, ‘credible' signs of vote-buying mar Philippines midterm election: EU observers
Vote-buying, entrenched political dynasties and deadly violence cast a shadow over the Philippines' midterm election , according to European Union observers, who warned the country's democracy faced serious structural challenges despite a strong turnout at the ballot box. The May 12 poll, overseen by the EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) witnessed high turnout and robust media coverage, but also 'unacceptable levels of election-related violence' and 'credible indications' of vote-buying through cash, goods and partisan welfare handouts, the mission's chief observer Marta Temido told a press conference on Wednesday. Temido, a member of the European Parliament, said voters had shown 'strong commitment to democracy and civic values despite the persistence of vote-buying' – a practice the Commission on Elections (Comelec) had only 'partially addressed' through stricter regulations. The EU deployed its mission following a formal request from the Philippine government, with observers monitoring campaign activities, voter turnout and security conditions across dozens of provinces. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr shows his inked finger to the media after casting his vote in the country's midterm election on May 12. Photo: Kyodo Temido said the election had taken place against the backdrop of limited electoral competitiveness due to 'the continued dominance of a few political families' and 'subjective limitations on the right to stand'.
ABC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Philippines midterm results to shape futures of Duterte and Marcos clans
On paper, some 18,000 national and local seats were up for grabs at the Philippines midterm election. But for two families, there was much more at stake. The Marcos and Duterte clans were vying for ongoing power and political control over their respective destinies. The families won a landslide victory as allies in 2022, but the relationship has spectacularly soured. As the final votes are tallied, here's what we know about the results that could shape the future of politics in the Philippines. The fractured relationship between the Marcos and Duterte clans started shortly after the election in 2022. In the past year however, it's fallen through completely. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's allies helped impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte for plotting an assassination against him and allegedly misusing millions of dollars of public funds. The vice-president then accused the Marcos administration of helping to deport her father, Rodrigo Duterte, to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he faces crimes against humanity charges linked to his war on drugs while president. Of the 12 Senate seats up for grabs in Monday's midterm election, political analyst Richard Heydarian said that up to five may go to Duterte-aligned candidates. That's significant because nine votes in the 24-seat Senate would successfully block a conviction against Sara Duterte. A conviction would bar her from running for office at the next presidential election in 2028. He said he expects she will get the required backing to block a conviction, if a trial even goes ahead. "She may even have more [Senate support] because they [Duterte-aligned candidates] have done so well," Mr Heydarian told the ABC's The World program from Manila. "Senators who have ambitions down the road in 2028 … seeing the 'House of Marcos' potentially sinking, they are already soft-peddling, so we may not even see a trial." He said any trial and ultimate outcome would come down to the handful of "independent-minded and progressive senators … to do the heavy lifting". "Otherwise just like Donald Trump last year in the US, we're going to see a comeback story for another controversial populist family in the case of the Philippines. "If the Dutertes' come back, it's retribution time. "Marcos's best chance is to get a coalition together to impeach Sara Duterte, and if he fails to do that, he going to be quite in trouble [at the 2028 election]." Despite being nearly 11,500 kilometres away in The Hague, former president Rodrigo Duterte was elected mayor of Davao City — a position he held for two decades before rising to the country's highest office. He's unlikely to step foot in Davao City, as he awaits a possible trial. However for one of the most powerful political families in the Philippines, it's a problem solved conveniently. His son, Sebastian, the current mayor of the city, was elected as vice-mayor and will serve in his father's absence. The vice-mayor vacancy will likely be filled by a councillor, named Rodrigo Duterte II. Mr Heydarian said the government was also out-performed in other areas of the country too. "It's not just Davao City — Manila City … Baguio City … Cebu City — most of these have been won by the opposition or Duterte-friendly elements," he said. He said the liberal progressive opposition targeted the government on issues of governance, accountability, the budget and alleged concerns over corruption. On the other side, the Duterte family rallied after Rodrigo Duterte was sent to The Hague, with a call to "protect" Sara Duterte, the heir-apparent, from being impeached. "Those two elements came together and that's why the administration was essentially squeezed in the middle," Mr Heydarian said. He said many officials that were elected are government aligned, which gave Mr Marcos Jr some support to "go for broke" to keep the Dutertes in check ahead of the 2028 presidential poll.
Al Jazeera
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Philippines election results: Who won, who lost and what's next?
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, detained at the International Criminal Court (ICC), is on course to win the mayoral election in his home Davao City, and five candidates backed by his family are leading the Senate race as midterm election results appear to show the Duterte political dynasty's continued grip on power. The results are a big boost for Vice President Sara Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte's daughter, who faces impeachment by the Senate in July. A two-thirds majority is required to remove her from office and bar her from running in future elections, including the 2028 presidential one. Twelve out of 24 Senate seats and all 317 seats in the House of Representatives were among the 18,320 elective positions up for grabs in the key election. Nearly 69 million people were registered to vote in the Asia Pacific country. 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. 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. Rodrigo Duterte is set to win the mayoral seat in Davao after receiving more than 65 percent of the votes. Duterte was the mayor of the southern city thrice, serving a total of 22 years. 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. While President Marcos Jr and Vice President Sara Duterte were not on the poll, their candidates were vying for positions from the Senate to municipal offices. Sara Duterte is a strong contender for the 2028 presidential election. Her political future can be decided by the 24-member Senate. She requires 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. If found guilty, she will be removed from office and barred from contesting future elections. She was impeached by the House of Representatives in February after being accused of crimes ranging from the misuse of public funds to plotting Marcos's assassination. Sara Duterte says 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 official results will be out within a week. 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. The elder Duterte was accused of 'crimes against humanity' for the estimated deaths of 30,000 people during his tenures as mayor and president. More than 7,000 people were killed during anti-drug operations while he was in power between 2016 and 2022, according to police records. Human rights advocates suggest the actual death toll was higher. Marcos Jr allied with the Duterte family, which enjoyed popularity, during his successful 2022 presidential campaign, with Sara Duterte as his running mate. But the ties soon soured over policy differences and Marcos's rejection of the war on drugs launched by Sara Duterte's father, Rodrigo Duterte. Finally, the alliance crumbled due to faltering support for Marcos Jr among supporters of the Duterte family after the arrest of Apollo Quiboloy, who was the spiritual adviser of former President Duterte. Quibology, an influential pastor, was charged with sex trafficking. The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte on a warrant issued by the ICC further inflamed tension between the two political dynasties. Until Rodrigo Duterte's arrest, Marcos Jr repeatedly rejected the International Criminal Court's (ICC) jurisdiction over his country, deeming the ICC 'a threat' to the country's sovereignty. Marcos Jr had held he would not assist the ICC in the elder Duterte's arrest. 'Let me say this for the 100th time. I do not recognise the jurisdiction of ICC in the Philippines. The Philippine government will not lift a finger to help any investigation that the ICC conducts,' Marcos Jr said in early 2024. In 2019, (Rodrigo) Duterte had removed the Philippines from the ICC, meaning the country was not required to detain someone with an ICC warrant against their name. The political tensions between the Duterte family and Marcos Jr reached a crescendo when the younger Duterte was impeached this February. She remains VP, but a Senate trial hangs like the sword of Damocles over her head.
