Philippines' High-Stakes Midterm Vote: Marcos vs. Duterte Showdown

By Karen Lema and Devjyot Ghoshal

MANILA (CryptoScope Daily) – Voting commenced in the Philippines on Monday for a typically unremarkable midterm election that has transformed into a highly emotional showdown between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his former supporter turned adversary, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Rival leaders Duterte and Marcos aren’t running for any of over 18,000 available posts, yet they've both been energetically promoting their chosen candidates. Their intense competition overshadows an election that might reshape the balance of power in a nation of 110 million citizens.

For Marcos, the stakes include his policy initiatives, historical impact, and control over his successor chosen in 2028. Meanwhile, Duterte’s continued presence in politics might depend on this election outcome, as he faces potential impeachment proceedings which could end all aspirations of ascending to presidency and emulating the path set by his father, Rodrigo Duterte.

As elections for mayors, governors, and members of the lower house are underway, the competition between Marcos and Duterte centers around securing one of the twelve available spots in the 24-seat Senate. This body holds significant legislative power and political sway, capable of influencing public sentiment and impacting presidential aspirations.

"This election is more than an informal referendum on the Marcos administration," said Aries Arugay, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines.

The central showdown in the Senate race serves as a crucial test... Marcos must maintain either a simple majority or a supermajority to advance his policy and economic plans.

ACRIMONIOUS FEUD

The election has a new significance after the collapse of the once formidable alliance between the Marcos and Duterte dynasties and the dramatic fall from grace of the popular Duterte family, which has accused the president of orchestrating a campaign to destroy the biggest challengers to his power.

Initially presenting a unified stance that carried them through the 2022 elections, they ended up embroiled in a bitter conflict characterized by intense personal attacks and efforts to impeach Duterte based on claims of financial misconduct, illicit accumulation of riches, and threats against the President, First Lady, and Speaker of the House.

The Senate race is critical, with its 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 - is needed to convict her.

"Given that factor, this goes beyond an ordinary midterm election, with high stakes involved," Arugay stated.

Stoking the fires of an already tense situation was Rodrigo Duterte's arrest by Philippine law enforcement in March. This arrest came at the behest of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is now being held due to his involvement in a "war on drugs" that resulted in numerous fatalities.

Despite his incarceration, he is on Monday's ballot for mayor in his hometown.

Both Dutertes have denied wrongdoing and have challenged the cases against them. Marcos has distanced himself from the impeachment and rejects allegations of a vendetta against the Duterte family.

Marcos has highlighted economic progress and his defense of national sovereignty, focusing his campaign on his strong stance against Beijing’s actions in the South China Sea. In this election, China has become a key issue, sparking significant political debate.

Sara Duterte, for her part, has accused Marcos of selling out sovereignty in giving up a former president to a foreign court.

"Who truly stands to benefit if the Duterte family is erased from this world?" she said while campaigning. "Not the Filipinos."

(Reporting by Karen Lema and Devjyot Ghoshal; Editing by Martin Petty)