Philippines Senate race a blow to President Marcos as he feuds with Vice President Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Key allies of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte and two liberal opposition candidates were among top winners in the May 12 Senate race in the Philippines, according to official results released Friday by the Election Commission.

The midterm election outcome provided unexpectedly strong backing for Duterte and boosted his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, ahead of her impeachment trial in the Senate in July.

The election also was a blow to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration, whose candidates did not do as well as expected in midterm polls when the president's influence is usually strong, analysts said.

Five of the 12 Senate race winners were endorsed by Sara Duterte, including the president's sister, Imee Marcos, and Camille Villar, another Marcos alliance candidate from a wealthy political family. Five others were aligned with Marcos, while two surprise winners were from the opposition. Two Duterte allies were among the top five.

Christopher Go, a former Cabinet member under the elder Duterte, led the Senate winners with more than 27 million votes. Ronald dela Rosa, Duterte's first national police chief and executor of his deadly anti-drugs campaign, ranked third.

Erwin Tulfo, a news anchor and candidate from the Marcos slate who was topping pre-election surveys, only managed fourth place. Two opposition members, Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, took second and fifth place, respectively.

The election results reflected ''a vote against the administration," political analyst Ronald Llamas said, adding that it wasn't a vote for the Dutertes because many anti-Duterte candidates also won, including in the lower house of Congress.

''It's a plebiscite on the president, it's a referendum on the government and it looks like they lost there,'' Llamas said.

Marcos teamed with Sara Duterte to win the 2022 general elections, but their partnership soured over political differences that led to her impeachment in February and her father's subsequent arrest and handover to the ICC.

Marcos can't seek re-election as the president is limited to a single six-year term. Sara Duterte is seen as a strong presidential candidate for 2028 elections but will be barred from office for life if convicted by the Senate.

She was impeached on a raft of charges including alleged misuse of public funds and plotting to assassinate Marcos. She had said the impeachment was a political assassination. To be acquitted, she needs the votes of at least nine of 24 senators.

At least two other senators who were not part of the elections were seen as supporters of the vice president. Other senators may support her acquittal depending on public opinion during the trial, political pressure from the administration and perceived political benefits, Llamas said.

''Definitely Sara gained in the election in her fight against impeachment,'' Llamas said. ''The impeachment will be uphill but not impossible.''

Rodrigo Duterte was elected as mayor of Davao City, his stronghold, with a landslide despite being detained thousands of miles away in the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands, since March. He is awaiting trial for crimes against humanity related to his war on illegal drugs that left thousands of suspects dead during his presidency from 2016 to 2022.

Under Philippine law, candidates facing criminal charges, including those in detention, can run for office unless they have been convicted and have exhausted all appeals.

Kristina Conti, an assistant to counsel at the ICC, has said the court also is investigating Dela Rosa and Go for their role in the drug war.