Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has the Senate. The ongoing tally of yesterday’s midterm elections shows that a majority of those likely to win the 12 available national Senate seats are allied with the controversial head of state. This includes Cynthia Villar, who is currently number one in the polls, based on partial, unofficial results aggregated from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) data as of 9:16am today. She currently has 24,299,170 votes based on 93.91 percent of Election Returns, a report generated by vote-counting machines in polling precincts that show the counts for national and local elections. Duterte campaigned for Villar, who is a part of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) alliance formed by first daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Senatorial candidates currently in the top 14 include: Cynthia Villar Grace Poe Bong Go Pia Cayetano Bato de la Rosa Sonny Angara Lito Lapid Imee Marcos Francis Tolentino Koko Pimentel Bong Revilla Nancy Binay JV Ejercito Bam Aquino Of the 14, 10 candidates are part of HNP. At the bottom of the list is Aquino, the only member of the opposition Liberal Party to rank in the top 14. Controversial figures likely to join the Senate are Imee Marcos, daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos; former police chief Bato de la Rosa, who launched the war on drugs; Duterte’s former aide Bong Go; and former Senator Bong Revilla, who was accused of stealing taxpayers’ money in the pork barrel scandal of 2013. With a landslide by the Duterte camp likely in this year’s polls, the president will soon have influence over all branches of the government. Of the 12 incumbent senators who did not have to run for re-election and will retain their seats until the next presidential elections in 2022, at least three openly support Duterte. This makes the majority of the Upper House Duterte allies now. Duterte gained control of the House of Representatives and the military soon after he became president in 2016. The ouster of Duterte critic and then-Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno last year was also seen as a way of gaining control of the Supreme Court (SC). Of the 14 SC justices today, seven were appointed by Duterte. The results from yesterday’s polls indicate that it’s about to get even easier for Duterte to execute his plans for the country, which include continuing the deadly drug war that has killed thousands, bringing back the death penalty, and changing the constitution. This article, Duterte allies win big in 2019 Philippine Senate race , originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!<doc-sep>MANILA, Philippines — Unofficial results of the midterm elections showed big wins for President Duterte’s candidates, indicating a resounding public endorsement of his rule, political analysts said. Nine of 12 available seats in the all-important Senate looked set to go to pro-Duterte candidates and the rest to independents, unofficial tallies showed, as the opposition that campaigned against his strongman approach failed 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 an upper house that has not always worked in his favor. A Senate majority would cut the chance of censures and house investigations against his government, making it easier to co-opt independents and remove the few remaining hurdles to an ambitious agenda for massive infrastructure spending, re-drafting the Constitution and return of the death penalty. “This President’s popularity and transferability of his popularity is unprecedented to say the least, despite all the controversies,” said political analyst Edmund Tayao. “You expect normally two or three candidates from the opposition to win, but this is a wipe-out.” At least four reelectionist senators are assured of victory while three others are praying for a miracle as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) started yesterday its canvassing of votes cast in the midterm elections on Monday. Referendum on Rody After casting his vote on Monday, President Duterte told reporters the outcome of the midterm elections could be seen as a referendum on the remaining three years of his administration. “It could be. It could be taken as one referendum. So that if you agree with me, then you can vote for my candidates or the people I am supporting this election,” the President said. He cast his vote at the Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School. The President had actively campaigned for the administration Senate slate of the PDP-Laban and allies, assisted by his daughter reelected Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio who chairs regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago. The STAR graphics Nine of 12 available seats in the all-important Senate looked set to go to pro-Duterte candidates and the rest to independents, unofficial tallies showed, as the opposition that campaigned against his strongman approach failed to make the cut. “Now if I am repudiated by the loss of all candidates coming from the Hugpong slate, then that would indicate that the majority of the people ayaw nila ako (don’t like me). Madali lang ‘yan. Easy to solve,” the President added. He stressed he has no qualms about stepping down from office if asked to do so by “legitimate, tax paying” media. He was apparently referring to Rappler, which he accused of being foreign owned and not paying the right taxes. “I can stomach a tricycle driver shouting slogans at me. I will never bow down to any foreigner,” Duterte said. But based on partial and unofficial tally of the Commission on Elections, Duterte does not have to worry much as his Senate candidates appear headed for a sweep. An official of Pulse Asia attributed his Senate lineup’s impending victory to the “power of a popular President.” Pulse Asia research director Ana Maria Tabunda described the votes in the recently concluded midterm elections as the “people’s response on the sitting President.” Nine of the 12 senatorial candidates who obtained the highest number of votes are allied with the Duterte administration. None of the candidates of opposition Otso Diretso entered the winners’ circle. Tabunda also noted the opposition did not field “stronger” candidates, saying “it is hard to be a “forthright opposition” under a president like Duterte. “This is a popular President, who has a particular style of dealing with his adversaries,” Tabunda told The STAR. For two officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the election results – although not yet final – were clear proof of the people’s continued trust in the President. “Our people have spoken. It is their will, and we have to respect it,” said Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos, chairman of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (ECMI). “We must admit that our people still place their trust and their future to the present administration. Given a fresh mandate let us pray they will live up to our expectations, and we will not be sorry we have elected them,” he added. “It is our prayer and hope that our elected officials will truly work at service of our people, not for certain person or political party. And they will not fail us, nor fail us again,” Santos said. Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, chairman of CBCP Commission on Mission (COM), said “the results of the election show that the majority of Filipinos are satisfied with Duterte.” Meanwhile, Pulse Asia’s Tabunda noted that the partial results of the May 13 senatorial polls were not that far from the polling firm’s latest pre-election survey – at least based on “statistical ranking.” She said people tend to give much attention to the “straight ranking” or the Top 12 in the surveys, and not to “statistical ranking.” Tabunda made the clarification after some questioned the high votes received so far by former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino. “He (Tolentino) has a statistical ranking of 10th to 15th in our latest survey,” she said. Tolentino lost to Sen. Leila de Lima in the 2016 senatorial elections, landing 13th place. He filed an electoral protest against De Lima but the case was recently dismissed. Tabunda said what they did not expect was the lower ranking of former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. in the partial and unofficial count. The actor-turned-politician, who was acquitted by the anti-graft court of plunder charges, placed 10th with initial votes of more than 14 million as of 12:53 p.m. yesterday. She said they had expected Revilla to rank fourth to eighth. Tabunda explained that groundwork is important especially in the six days before the elections. “Tolentino even before 2016 had many groundworks as chairman of the MMDA (Metro Manila Development Authority). He has helped LGUs (local government units) during disasters, he (is good) in networking,” Tabunda said.<doc-sep>MANILA, Philippines — Veteran election lawyer Romy Macalintal — who ran under the Otso Diretso slate — accepted defeat in the Senate race Tuesday, as his fellow opposition bets struggle to enter the Magic 12. With 93% of election returns counted, Macalintal ranked 26th as of 7:40 a.m. with 3.8 million votes, making him among the first senatorial candidates to concede defeat. “From the results coming from all the clustered precincts, it is clear that a great majority of our voters have chosen other candidates. And I respect their decision as I concede defeat in this senatorial race,” Macalintal said in a statement. “I sincerely congratulate all the winners who were so fortunate to get the trust and confidence of the people to serve for six years as their Senators,” he added. The lawyer represents Liberal Party stalwart and Vice President Leni Robredo in the electoral protest filed by defeated vice presidential candidate and former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. The Presidential Electoral Tribunal is conducting a ballot recount on Marcos' selected pilot provinces. Macalintal earlier said he would push for the rights of senior citizens and persons with disabilities if elected senator. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral RESULTS: The Senatorial Race<doc-sep>MANILA, Philippines — Former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla climbed further in the 2019 senatorial race, outrunning reelectionist senator Nancy Binay. According to the 9:08 a.m. update of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) transparency server, Revilla placed 11th on the Magic 12 with 14,005,543 votes. ADVERTISEMENT This is a lead of 5,584 votes against Binay who garnered 13,999,959 votes Earlier, Revilla ranked 12th in the Senate race. Reelectionist Senator JV Ejercito further lags behind the Senate race with only 13,751,411 votes, which is a difference of 248,548 votes behind Binay. Meanwhile, reelectionist Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel retained his spot on the 10th place of the Magic 12, with 14,023,305 votes. Reelectionist Senator Cynthia Villar also retained her top spot of the senatorial race with 24,274,440 votes, followed by Grace Poe with 21,232,689 votes. READ: PPCRV tally shows tight race for last 3 Senate seats Below are the other senate bets that managed to secure a spot in the Magic 12: Christopher “Bong” Go: 19,664,664 votes Pia Cayetano: 18,979,894 votes Ronald dela Rosa: 18,077,601 votes Sonny Angara: 17,456,113 votes Lito Lapid: 16,309,059 votes Imee Marcos: 15,243,072 votes Francis Tolentino: 14,814,764 votes This represents the results of 93.76 percent transmittals or 82,370 of 87,851 vote counting machines. Voter turnout is at 71 percent, meaning 45,145,826 out 63,662,481 registered Filipino voters have cast their vote. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde) Read Next<doc-sep>
Updated at 7:20 a.m., May 14, 2019, to reflect the latest tally Originally posted at 5:58 a.m., May 14, 2019 ADVERTISEMENT MANILA, Philippines — Senator Cynthia Villar remained on top of the unofficial and partial senatorial race tally on Tuesday, hours after the voting precincts closed at 6 p.m. on Monday, according to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) transparency server. If no major shake-up happens in the remaining 6,244 polling precincts, then eight of the 12 winning candidates — including Villar — would be candidates endorsed by the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban, the party of President Rodrigo Duterte, and the Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HnP), the regional party set up by presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio. Besides Villar, other pro-administration bets who have made it so far to the Magic 12 are former special presidential assistant Christopher “Bong” Go, Taguig Rep. Pia Cayetano, former Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa, Sen. Sonny Angara, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, former presidential political adviser Francis Tolentino, and Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. HNP endorsed another candidate, former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who is not, however, part of the President’s line-up. As of 5:48 a.m. Tuesday, Villar was still leading with 24,139,134 votes, followed by: Grace Poe (21,122,345) Bong Go (19,535,952) Pia Cayetano (18,877,343) Ronald dela Rosa (17,964,775) ADVERTISEMENT Sonny Angara (17,365,309) Lito Lapid (16,215,644) Imee Marcos (15,159,699) Francis Tolentino (14,728,081) Koko Pimentel (13,943,067) Nancy Binay (13,925,364) Bong Revilla (13,909,105) Voter turnout was 70 percent — that is, 44,822,648 voted out of 63,662,481 registered voters. These results came from 92.89 percent of the transmittals — that is, 81,607 out of 87,851 vote counting machines Race for last slots In the race for the last three spots, Revilla padded his lead over 13th placer JV Ejercito, getting ahead by 229,208 votes, from 209,663 as of 3:45 a.m. Revilla also trimmed Binay’s lead from 36,353 to 16,259. Pimentel maintained his hold at the 10th spot, leading Binay by 17,703 votes. RELATED PPCRV tally shows tight race for last 3 Senate seats Revilla slightly widens lead over Ejercito in battle for last Senate seat Villar leads Senate race – PPCRV partial unofficial results Read Next