Millions of Filipinos began to cast their votes on Monday in between President Ferdinand Marcos and impeached Vice President Sara Duterte.
Normally a low-key affair, the midterms hold the key to the futures of the two leaders.
The votes will decide over 18,000 jobs in the country ranging from mayors, governors and seats in the House of Representatives who will serve the 110 million-strong .
The fight for over a dozen senate seats, in a 24-member house, are especially in focus as they will form half of the jury in an impeachment trial for Duterte later this year.
If she fails to attain at least 9 of the 24 votes, the former vice president will be publicly barred from public office.
Meanwhile, Marcos is fighting for his political and economic agenda, along with influence for succession in 2028.
Voters were seen lining up at polling stations across Manila even before the polling began at 7 am local time ( 2300 GMT Sunday), AFP reported.
Marcos-Duterte feud escalates
Once allies, the two leaders’ fue has been long in the making.
Things came to a head in February when Sara Duterte was impeached by the senate for alleged “high crimes” which include corruption and an assassination plot against the president.
A month later, Duterte’s father and former president Rodrigo Duterte, and to the to over a
The vice president said her father’s arrest was a “kidnapping” and accused Marcos damaging the nation’s sovereignty by allowing a foreign court to detain a former president.
“Who truly stands to benefit if the Duterte family is erased from this world?” she said while campaigning. “Not the Filipinos.”
Rodrigo Duterte contests election from The Hague
Despite being detained by the ICC in The Hague since March, awaiting his trial, the former president’s name is on the ballot for mayor in his hometown of Davao City.
This is legal under Philippine law which only bars candidates from running if they have been convicted of a crime and have exhausted all legal appeals.
At least one local poll predicted that Duterte would see a comfortable win in his stronghold city.
Security tightened amid killings
The Philippines is under tight security as elections there have a history of turning violent.
The national police have been on alert for over a week with some 163,000 officers deployed to protect polling stations and escort election officials.
Additional personnel from the military, fire departments and other agencies have been deployed.
On Sunday, the Philippine army reported at least two people had been killed in a clash between supporters of rival political camps.
Edited by: Zac Crellin
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