Philippine: President Duterte’s allies dominate mid-term polls

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies were poised for victory in midterm polls, according to unofficial results on Tuesday, signaling firm approval of his policies and clearing a path for his most controversial plans.

Duterte’s deadly drug war has drawn international censure, but is central to the populist appeal that has buoyed his remarkable popularity among Filipinos since taking the presidency in 2016.

Nine of 12 Senate seats available look set to go to pro-Duterte candidates and the rest to independents, unofficial results showed, with the opposition that campaigned strongly against his presidency failing to make the cut.

Monday’s ballot for more than 18,000 posts, among them hundreds of mayors, governors, and Congressmen, was billed as a referendum on the firebrand president, with special focus on his bid to consolidate power in the all-important upper house.

A Senate majority would be a boon for Duterte, lessening the chance of censures and house probes against his government and making it easier to co-opt independents and sideline opponents to push through bills vital to his ambitious reform agenda.

Historically, the nation’s 24 senators – who serve six-year terms – have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house.

The polls saw isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines’ frequently bloody competition for elected seats.

At least 20 people were killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run-up to the vote, according to an official count.

The military said, nine people were shot and wounded Monday during a confrontation at a polling station on the southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans.

Turnout was steady throughout the day and voters across the country flooded social media with images of their ink-stained fingernails, which are daubed blue as a protection against voter fraud.