President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. faced mounting political turbulence after midterm Senate elections had brought a surprise win for allies of his Vice President Sara Duterte, according to AP News.
Official results released on Friday revealed a fractured mandate, with analysts calling the outcome a rebuke to Marcos’ leadership and a boost for Duterte’s impeachment defence.
Five of the 12 Senate seats went to candidates endorsed by Vice President Duterte, including the president’s sister Imee Marcos. Former Duterte loyalists Christopher Go and Ronald dela Rosa—key figures in the ex-president’s drug war—secured first and third place respectively. Opposition liberals Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan defied expectations to claim second and fifth spots.
The president’s candidates underperformed despite midterm polls traditionally favouring incumbents, exposing vulnerabilities ahead of his 2028 exit.
The polls strengthen Vice President Duterte’s hand ahead of her July impeachment trial, where she faces charges of fund misuse and allegedly plotting Marcos’ assassination, claims she dismisses as “political vendetta.” Acquittal requires nine Senate votes, and while five newly elected senators back her, analysts suggest shifting alliances and public pressure could sway undecided lawmakers.
Meanwhile, her father, Rodrigo Duterte, won re-election as mayor of Davao City from the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) detention in The Hague, where he awaits trial for crimes against humanity linked to his drug crackdown.
The election’s dark horse, Ronald dela Rosa, faces renewed scrutiny over his role in Duterte’s narcotics campaign, which killed thousands. The ICC is also investigating Go, the Senate’s top vote-getter, for alleged complicity. Under Philippine law, both can serve unless convicted with all appeals exhausted, a loophole critics say emboldens impunity.
