The May 2025 elections are crucial for the future of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte. Aside from 12 Senate seats, thousands of local positions are at stake. More than 160,000 police officers have been deployed to ensure a safe voting environment, especially in areas prone to political violence.
The martial between Marcos and Duterte has become the center of political debate. The conflict has worsened after Duterte was impeached in February, and his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested, and is now at the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the issue of the bloody drug war.
The 12 new senators to be elected will be part of the impeachment trial in July, which could potentially remove the vice president from office and permanently ban him from politics. Of those leading in the surveys, seven are endorsed by Marcos while four are aligned with the Dutertes.
According to experts, if the Dutertes lose power completely, they may also lose control of Davao, their longtime stronghold. In addition, Marcos has not yet had a strong project that the people remember, so his popularity is declining.
Despite Marcos' efforts to focus his campaign on tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea, voters are still prioritizing issues of jobs and prices. And as the 2028 elections approach, the current president's influence is gradually waning, as he is no longer eligible to run for re-election.
