Slow start to Philippine midterm elections as 61 million voters decide whether to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte’s hand
- Duterte is not on the ballot. Nevertheless, the vote looms as a referendum on his programme three years after he was elected president
- Winning a Senate majority would give Duterte legislative backing for his anti-crime proposals and his plan to rewrite the constitution
As of 12pm local time, Duterte had not cast his vote, though a number of Philippine celebrities chose to do so in the morning after polls opened at 6am. Among them were actors Robin Padilla and Angel Locsin, who posted photos of themselves on Instagram after casting their ballot, while Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray used Instagram Stories to urge Filipinos to do their part “in deciding the future of our beloved Philippines”.
The polls are for more than 61 million registered voters to elect 12 of the 24 Senate seats and all 229 positions in the House of Representatives and 18,000 local political posts, including provincial governors.
Polls close at 6pm and early results are likely to be known on Monday night, with official results out later this week.
Duterte himself is not on the ballot. Nevertheless, the vote looms as a referendum on his populist programme three years after he was elected president.
“A big win for [Duterte’s] allies would mean support for the flagship policies of the president, especially the controversial ones,” said Cleve Arguelles, a doctoral fellow in politics and social change at Australian National University.