TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Voting is underway in the Philippines on Monday, May 12, 2025, in a high-stakes midterm election. As reported by Antara, millions of voters have headed to polling stations to elect new mayors, governors, and members of the House of Representatives.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cast his ballot at Mariano Marcos Memorial Elementary School in Batac City, Ilocos Norte, according to The Manila Times. He was accompanied by his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and his sister, Irene Marcos-Araneta.
More than 18,000 posts are being contested in this fiercely competitive election—from congressional seats to key local government positions.
The vote is widely seen as a referendum on the political rift between President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte, who was impeached earlier this year.
Sara Duterte, daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte—currently facing trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity—was impeached in February over allegations of budget misuse, unexplained wealth, and betrayal of public trust.
Twelve senators elected in this vote will comprise half of the impeachment court set to try Sara in July. If convicted, she could be permanently barred from holding public office.
Despite being in detention at The Hague, Rodrigo Duterte is running again for mayor in his hometown of Davao City, a position he’s expected to reclaim easily.
To keep her presidential hopes alive, Sara needs the support of at least nine senators in the 24-member Senate.
At a final campaign rally in Manila last Thursday, Sara accused the Marcos administration of orchestrating large-scale electoral fraud. She also reiterated her claim that her father’s transfer to the ICC amounted to “kidnapping.”
To ensure safety at polling sites nationwide, the Philippine government has deployed around 163,000 police officers. Thousands more personnel from the military, fire department, and other agencies are on standby to prevent violence during and after the election.
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), preliminary results are expected to start coming in within an hour after polls close. Comelec printed 68.4 million ballots, matching the number of registered voters.
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