Let us continue to fight for genuine democracy! Expose the rotten elections! Labanan ang kasamaan at kadiliman ng mga Marcos at Duterte!
Undemocratic elections
From the Philippines to the US, the 2025 midterm elections were plagued with discrepancies, inadequacies, lack of public information and outreach – an utter failure of the government to facilitate a genuinely democratic election. In the weeks leading up the the elections, initial reports from the International Observers Mission (IOM), facilitated by the International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines’ (ICHRP), were sounding the alarm on cases of red-tagging and disinformation, violence and killings amidst the campaign, disenfranchisement, vote buying, among other issues.
Those issues were on full display on election day itself. In the Philippines there were software discrepancies. Automated vote counting machines broke down. Issues with the integrity of the paper ballot and overinking. Inaccurate ballot counts, long lines, violence and even deaths at precincts. Overseas, even as the Malaya Movement had been trying to alert voters and government to the failures of the online voting system, we are still shocked by the vote counts in the U.S.: Just 5.2% of all registered voters participated in the elections this year, compared to the 17.29% from the 2019 midterm elections, and 37.8% in the 2022 presidential elections.
What were the results?
The magic 12 will be composed of candidates from Marcos’ Alyansa (Tulfo, Lacson, Sotto, Cayetano, Villar, Lapid), the Duterte-endorsed slate (Go, Dela Rosa, Marcoleta, and Marcos), and two kakampink-supported candidates (Aquino and Pangilinan). On the House of Representatives end, Duterte Youth are slated to gain at least 2 seats, while opposition partylists are slated to retain or gain more seats: Kabataan, and ACT are projected to retain, while Akbayan gains seats with human rights lawyer Chel Diokno as its first nominee, ML with former political prisoner Leila Delima. At the local level, criminal tyrant and former president Rodrigo Duterte has won the mayoral race in Davao City while arrested and under custody of the International Criminal Court at the Hague for crimes against humanity for his war on drugs.
The Marcos, Duterte family feud
We will certainly see the intensification of the split between the Dutertes and Marcoses. More vicious attacks, slimy political maneuvers on either end, and violence. The next 3 years until the 2028 elections will be a battlefield to consolidate their dynastic power and influence. Sara’s impeachment trial will decide whether she will be able to run for president in 2028. Marcos Jr. has to find a successor from his clan. As in previous presidential elections, we expect there to be backdoor deals, buyouts, and political realignments. Our democratic institutions will be further eroded by the feud and power struggle, and the wellbeing and rights of Filipinos the world over will be further abandoned for the interests of these corrupt political dynasties.
Looking ahead: the fight continues.
On the other side though, what the midterm results have shown us is there is significant opposition to the Marcos-Duterte rule. Kiko and Bam’s senatorial wins are welcome victories and the millions of votes for candidates from the Makabayan Slate are a clear indication of this desire for drastic change. As Malaya Movement USA, we endorsed the full Makabayan Coalition slate and the Bayan Muna Partylist, knowing their genuinely pro-people platforms would be welcomed by millions of Filipinos. But we recognized it was an uphill battle given that democracy in the country is defined by wealth, disinformation, and open violence. Our candidates both challenged political dynasties that poured billions of pesos into their campaigns, as well as willingly faced incessant attacks, black propaganda and red-tagging from the state itself. But their campaign and the resulting votes proved that Filipinos choose genuine, progressive solutions when presented with the options.
2028 will be a critical one for our democracy. We need to fight our way into a democratic process amid the changing balance of power between burdensome dynasties. Given anomalies, discrepancies, and lack of transparency with the electoral system, organizations on the ground are calling for a hybrid system of counting and voting. Join Malaya Movement USA as we fight for a genuinely democratic election in the Philippines. Let us continue to grow the anti-fascist movement and prepare ourselves for the fight ahead.
May 14: Press Conference on voter turnout: tinyurl.com/514-presscon
May 17: Attend Malaya USA’s post elections discussion: tinyurl.com/rsvp-0517
