Manila: Filipinos began casting their vote Monday in midterm elections highlighted by a showdown between President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies who aim to dominate the Senate and opposition candidates fighting for checks and balances under a leader they regard as a looming dictator.
Nearly 62 mn Filipinos have registered to choose among 43,500 candidates for congressional and local posts in the high-stakes elections. Many see the elections as a referendum on Duterte’s rise to power with a brutal crackdown on illegal drugs that has left thousands dead, his unorthodox leadership style, combative and sexist joke-laden outbursts and contentious embrace of China.
