The Philippine midterm election count is nearing its end, and although the official results have not yet been announced, the Duterte family can already declare a sweeping victory.
The Duterte family won all 5 positions they contested in Davao City, and their camp also saw up to 5 people advance into the top 12 of the Senate, demonstrating the Duterte family's strong mobilization power and mass base in Philippine politics.
Duterte Family: Complete Election Success in Davao City
As of 12:58 AM on May 13, 927 out of 1173 polling stations in Davao City (about 79.03%) have completed the count, showing all members of the Duterte family significantly leading their opponents:
Former President Duterte ran for mayor, receiving 540,124 votes, far ahead of his opponent Carlo Nograles who got 65,117 votes, almost certainly securing the mayoral position once again;
Sebastian, the youngest son of Duterte and the current mayor, ran for vice mayor and won easily with 531,065 votes against his opponent Bernard Al-ag who got 63,572 votes.
Paolo Duterte, the eldest son, successfully retained his position as a congressman, securing 158,357 votes, far surpassing Migs Nograles who received 38,473 votes.
Omar Duterte, Paolo's eldest son and Duterte's grandson, made his first congressional bid for the second district, winning 133,685 votes and defeating Javi Garcia Campos who got 74,763 votes.
Rodrigo Duterte II, another son of Paolo, known as Rigo, topped the city council election with 149,774 votes, leading his closest opponent Jay Melchor Quitain who got 136,285 votes.
Senators: 5 Allies Surpass Expectations
Beyond the overwhelming local election victories, the Duterte camp also exceeded expectations in the national senatorial elections. As of the latest count, 5 candidates from the Duterte camp have made it into the top 12.
Bong Go, a close confidant of Duterte and former presidential assistant, ranked first with over 21.79 million votes; Dela Rosa, the former national police chief and "drug war" pioneer during Duterte's administration, ranked third with over 16.68 million votes.
Another long-time supporter of Duterte's policies, independent candidate Rodante Marcoleta, ranked sixth with 12.22 million votes. Additionally, two candidates initially considered allies of the Marcos camp were seen as "defectors" to the Duterte camp in the later stages of the election, ultimately securing their positions in the top 12 and solidifying their political status. Camille Villar ranked tenth and Imee Marcos twelfth, their strategies to garner Duterte supporters towards the end of the campaign evidently paid off.
So far, the performance of these 5 elected candidates shows that although the Duterte camp does not hold the core of power, its political influence has not disintegrated and still significantly impacts the Senate landscape.
