Opinion | There is one clear winner in Philippine midterm elections: Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity
Duterte-backed candidates are on course to win at least eight of 12 Senate seats despite the president’s bloody war on drugs and falling wages
It remains to be seen whether the new upper house will be able to maintain its independence as a check on the president’s administration, says Gerald Tan
Five points stand out to me from the just-concluded Philippine midterm elections, particularly its main event: the Senate race.
First, the polls reinforce the notion that President Rodrigo Duterte is the most popular Philippine politician today – if not in recent memory.
With at least eight out of the 12 Senate seats up for grabs set to be won by candidates backed by Duterte and the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) party of his daughter, Sara, the elections were a triumph for the president and his allies.
While some had billed the midterms as a referendum on the Philippine leader, the outcome isn’t that surprising when you consider that Duterte’s approval ratings stood at 79 per cent as recently as March.
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No contemporary politician matches the level of support he enjoys right now.
Duterte was always going to win any election that is – or is made – about him.
Workers feed ballots into a vote counting machine after it was replaced due to a malfunction at a polling centre in Manila. Photo: AP
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Second, not only is Duterte popular – so is his war on drugs and criminality.
