Philippines votes in high-stakes midterms amid Marcos-Duterte showdown

Voting was underway in the Philippines on Monday for a normally low-key midterm election that is showcasing an emotionally charged proxy battle between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and ally-turned-foe, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte and Marcos are not on the ballot for more than 18,000 positions but have been campaigning aggressively for their slates of candidates, as their bitter rivalry dominates a contest that could influence the future dynamic of power in the country of 110 million people.

At stake for Marcos is his policy agenda, his legacy and influence over his succession in 2028, while Duterte's political survival could ride on the vote, with an impeachment trial looming that could kill any future hopes of becoming president and following in the footsteps of father Rodrigo Duterte.

While posts for mayors, governors and lower house lawmakers are up for grabs, the tussle for Marcos and Duterte is over a dozen coveted seats in the 24-member Senate, a chamber with sweeping legislative influence and political clout that can shape public opinion and sink presidential ambitions.

"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 Senate race is the key proxy battle... Marcos needs to retain a majority, or supermajority, to push forward his legislative and economic agenda."

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.

What began as a united front that swept the 2022 election unravelled 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 the lives of the president, first lady and the house speaker.

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.

"That alone makes this more than just a typical midterm, so a lot is at stake," Arugay said.

Fuelling the flames of an already charged race was Rodrigo Duterte's arrest by Philippine police in March at the request of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where he is currently detained over a "war on drugs" during which thousands were killed.

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 touted economic gains and his defence of sovereignty, campaigning on his tough stand against Beijing's conduct in the South China Sea, with China emerging as a political lightning rod in the election.

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."