Millions vote in Philippines midterm elections amid Marcos-Duterte feud
Millions of Filipinos began to cast their votes on Monday in a mid-term election largely seen as a proxy battle 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, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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 Philippines.
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.
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, was arrested and flown to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to answer for alleged crimes against humanity over a war on drugs which is said to have killed thousands.
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."
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