Supporters of the arrested former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte chant his name during a solidarity rally on his birthday, in Davao City, Philippines on March 28.
PHOTO: Reuters file
PUBLISHED ON May 12, 2025
MANILA — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was almost certain to be elected mayor of his home city by a landslide on Monday (May 12), unimpeded by his detention at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of murder as a crime against humanity.
With 80 per cent of votes counted in an unofficial tally, Duterte, who was brought to The Hague in March over his bloody "war on drugs" that killed thousands of people, was winning the Davao mayoral contest with eight times more votes than his nearest rival.
The victory during nationwide midterm elections is testament to the 80-year-old's enduring influence in the southern city, owing to his reputation as a crime-buster that earned him the nicknames "Duterte Harry" and "the Punisher".
Duterte's old Facebook account was flooded with congratulatory messages from supporters, with some calling for his return to serve his people.
"Congratulations, Tatay (father) D! Let's bring him home," read one of the comments.
Duterte could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC.
His surprise arrest by Philippine police at the request of the ICC caused outrage among his army of supporters, who called it a kidnapping at the behest of a foreign court.
He has defended the anti-drugs crackdown and his legal team says his arrest was unlawful. The ICC maintains it has jurisdiction to prosecute alleged crimes committed before Duterte withdrew the Philippines from its founding treaty in 2019.
Despite the ICC's case also including alleged killings of criminal suspects by a "death squad" in Davao while Duterte was mayor — which he has denied — analysts have said his arrest has only hardened support for him and his family, in Davao and beyond.
The former president's two sons were also set to win posts on Monday, one reelected congressman and the other winning the contest for Davao vice mayor and likely to serve in his father's absence.
The family's political resilience and dominance in Davao could prove pivotal as Duterte's popular daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, faces an impeachment trial that could see her banned from politics for life if convicted, killing off any hopes of a presidential run.
Asked earlier on Monday about her father's likely victory, she said plans would be made for him to be sworn in as mayor.
"The ICC lawyer said once we get proclamation papers, we will discuss how he can take oath," she said.
Dutertes outperform in Philippine midterm elections in blow to Marcos
Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte looks set to become mayor of Davao City despite his detention
Last updated: May 13, 2025 | 08:50
Bloomberg
Impeached Vice President Sara Duterte saw allies win at least four of the 12 Senate seats up for grabs.AFP
Philippine voters have delivered a blow to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and a boost to the controversial Duterte clan, whose members and allies outperformed expectations in Monday’s midterm elections.
Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte looks set to become mayor of Davao City despite his detention by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity, according to election results released by GMA News. His two sons lead other races.
Impeached Vice President Sara Duterte, who faces a July Senate trial for alleged misdeeds including an apparent threat to assassinate Marcos, saw allies win at least four of the 12 Senate seats up for grabs. That was more than surveys had indicated and gives her a core bloc of supporters in the 24-member chamber.
“It will be more difficult to get a conviction,” Maria Ela Atienza, a professor of political science at the University of Philippines said in an interview with Bloomberg TV. “There will be a lot of negotiations now.”
Philippine stocks rose 0.8% in early trade and the peso dropped as much as 0.7% after markets were closed Monday, though the main driver was news of the 90-day truce in the US-China trade war.
The Senate trial still holds perils for the vice president, but two-thirds of the chamber would need to vote for her conviction, which would remove Sara Duterte from office and block her from a 2028 run for the presidency. But Marcos-endorsed candidates look set to win just six Senate seats, fewer than anticipated, amid widespread concerns about the cost of living and the dispute with his deputy.
“The results reflect the declining popularity of Marcos Jr., the resurgence of the Duterte brand, and the readmission of the traditional liberal opposition back into high politics,” said Anthony Lawrence Borja, an associate professor at De La Salle University in Manila. “It is a welcome surprise for liberals and an unwelcome one for the administration.”
Those liberals are Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, who are on course to return to the Senate after getting backed by Leni Robredo, a former vice president who ran against Marcos in 2022.
The results, which may not be officially confirmed for days, raise questions about the ability of Marcos to press his agenda in his last three years in office, especially as the president tries to attract investors and expand the economy by at least 6% this year after first-quarter growth missed estimates.
The president’s sister, Imee Marcos, is on course for re-election as a senator after casting off her brother to join Sara Duterte on the campaign trail.
Congresswoman Camille Villar, daughter of the Philippines’ richest man, Manuel Villar, is set to win election to the Senate. But while she is part of the Marcos slate, she also sought the backing of Sara Duterte late in the campaign to boost her chances. But she didn’t publicly quit the president’s team.
While neither the president nor the vice president were on the ballot, they campaigned extensively across the archipelago of 114 million people.
After running on a joint ticket in 2022, the Marcos-Duterte relationship fractured, and last November Sara Duterte said that if she was murdered, she had arranged for revenge killings of Marcos and his wife. Her father, Rodrigo Duterte, who had bragged of using a “death squad” to execute criminals, then called on the military to intervene to fix the nation’s “fractured” governance.
The vice president’s remarks, along with her alleged misuse of public funds, led to her impeachment by the House of Representatives. She denies the allegations.
Relations worsened in March, when Marcos allowed the arrest of Rodrigo Duterte and his transfer to the ICC in the Netherlands, accused of a role in the deaths of thousands during his war on drugs. The ex-president, now aged 80, is fighting the charges, and some voters liked his hard line.
“Duterte tackled the drug problem,” Jennifer Yandoc, a 44-year-old mother of four, said as she voted in San Fernando City north of Manila on Monday.
Rodrigo Duterte’s youngest son and incumbent Davao mayor, Sebastian, is leading in the race to be his father’s deputy mayor. His eldest son, Paolo, is on course to keep his congressional seat.
Also Read:Philippine May 12, 2025 elections: By the numbers
More than 18,000 other national and local positions were contested. Voting was mostly peaceful, though at least one person died and several collapsed in stifling temperatures.
Widespread vote-buying and fake voters mar Philippine midterm elections
Massive vote-buying and the re-emergence of fraudulent voters have cast doubt over the integrity of the recent midterm elections in the Philippines, with reports surfacing from various provinces across Mindanao, Visayas, and Luzon, Inquirer reported.
In Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, authorities apprehended 80 men—some of them minors—before polling began on May 12. Each had reportedly been promised PHP1,500 ($26.9) to vote illegally. The group, believed to have travelled from areas including General Santos City, Sultan Kudarat, and Bukidnon, admitted to being paid participants, though they declined to identify their sponsors. Officials believe more would have followed had the group not been intercepted. Due to a spate of violence during the campaign, Buluan was placed under the control of the Commission on Elections.
Throughout Mindanao, financial incentives were used to drive voter turnout. In Zamboanga del Sur, people queued from as early as 4 a.m., with reports of voters receiving up to PHP5,000 before voting and an additional PHP5,000 after, referred to locally as “backing”. In some towns, vote-buying reportedly reached PHP8,000 to PHP10,000 per person.
Similar practices were observed in Cagayan de Oro (PHP1,000–PHP6,000), Lanao del Norte (cash plus rice), and Surigao del Sur (PHP4,970–PHP11,690). In Eastern Visayas, the practice—called “badil”—ranged from PHP50 to PHP15,000 ($269), depending on the post contested.
Police in Central Luzon are currently investigating 35 online reports of vote-buying. Church leaders have condemned the practice, calling it a betrayal of democratic values.
While these practices are hardly new, they are an alarming sign that, despite ongoing reforms, money continues to have an undue influence over the electoral process. This raises concerns about the true value of votes and whether the democratic system is truly functioning in the best interests of all citizens.
No comments:
Post a Comment