Voters go to the polls in the Philippines Monday to choose half of the country's Senate, and its entire House of Representatives. The election is widely seen as a referendum on President Duterte. </s> Millions Of Voters Turn Out For Philippines' Midterm Elections

Voters went to the polls in the Philippines Monday to choose half of the country's Senate, and its entire House of Representatives. The election is widely seen as a referendum on President Duterte. </s> MANILA — Millions of Filipinos voted Monday to choose half of the nation’s Senate in what was widely seen as a proxy battle between President Rodrigo Duterte and politicians opposed to his deadly war on drugs.

Throughout the day, the police reported scattered incidents of violence and voter intimidation, including a shooting that injured five people at one voting area, as well as bombings believed to be connected to the elections.

Nearly 300,000 police officers and members of the armed forces were deployed nationwide to prevent violence, with the national police reporting that at least 20 people had been killed and 24 injured in election-related attacks in the weeks leading up to the voting.

Up for grabs are 12 Senate seats, nearly 300 seats in the House of Representatives and thousands of local posts, including mayor and governor positions, according to the Commission on Elections. But the spotlight was on the races for the Senate, where a tiny minority has been successful in blocking Mr. Duterte’s legislative agenda. Results are expected to be released in a few days. </s> (CNN) Over 60 million voters are going to the polls across the Philippines for midterm elections on Monday that are being seen as a bellwether for the popularity of President Rodrigo Duterte.

While more than 18,000 government posts are up for grabs, the highest office in the land is not being contested. Nonetheless, the election is widely considered to be a referendum on the brash, plain-spoken leader's three years in office.

Duterte's divisive policies, including his war on drugs, which has seen thousands of people lose their lives in extrajudicial killings, have provoked a chorus of condemnation from human rights groups at home and overseas.

But opinion polls in the lead-up to the election have been favorable to the president, suggesting many in the country still admire his strongman tactics.

In early May, Philippine pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported a record high approval rating for the Duterte administration of 72% -- classified as "excellent."

The high approval rating is likely indicate a smooth path to power for politicians who have aligned themselves with the ruling PDP-Laban party.

The party's high-profile candidates include Duterte's former special assistant-turned-Senate candidate Bong Go, former Philippines National Police (PNP) chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa -- who oversaw much of Duterte's war against drugs -- and Imee Marcos, daughter of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Half of the country's 24-seat Senate is up for grabs, potentially allowing Duterte to strengthen his support base and push through some of his more controversial policies.

Critics also fear that if Duterte tightens his hold on the Senate, he'll more easily be able to rewrite the constitution, potentially lifting the limit on six-year presidential terms.

Duterte has declared a special non-working holiday in hopes to push up turnout -- which in recent elections has been above 70%.

Voter Louie Valenzuela, told news agency AFP that he saw graft as a main issue in the election.

"It's very important to vote because this is for the younger generation who will also get to vote soon, like my children," he said. "Today we will vote for our new leaders and (I am) hoping that this could end corruption."

The Philippines National Police has deployed 160,000 officers and other personnel to polling stations to ensure that voting goes ahead free of violence.

Even before polls opened, there were reports of vote-buying on a "massive" scale. However, PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said that some complaints had been exaggerated by candidates or their supporters.

Albayalde added there had been 79 cases of voter fraud so far, with as many as 240 people implicated in the schemes. The vast majority of offenders had been apprehended, he said.

Early reports suggest that districts have been beset with problems, including technical issues that are not allowing voters -- and even some candidates -- to register their choices.

Elsewhere, the candidate for mayor in Pasig, Vico Sotto, refused to cast his vote until voting machine issues had been addressed. He said he had received reports of 35 defective machines in the city, another part of the capital region. </s> More than 18,000 positions are at stake, including half of the seats in the upper house Senate, which has served as a bulwark against some of President Rodrigo Duterte's most controversial policies.

Filipinos headed to the polls on Monday in a vote that is expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte's grip on power, opening the way for him to deliver on pledges to restore the death penalty and rewrite the constitution.

More than 18,000 positions are at stake, including half of the seats in the upper house Senate, which has served as a bulwark against some of Duterte's most controversial policies.

Duterte is known internationally for his foul-mouthed tirades and deadly drug war, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country's general dysfunction and leaders who have failed to fix it.

He wants to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes as part of his narcotics crackdown in which thousands of alleged pushers and users have already been killed by police.

His tough-on-crime platform -- which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 -- was key to his landslide election victory in 2016.

Voters crowded voting centres in the capital Manila even ahead of polls opening at 6:00 am (2200 GMT Sunday) in an election where some 61 million are registered to cast ballots.

"I voted for many of the candidates endorsed by President Duterte because his government is doing its job," said Myrna Cruz, 51.

"I support their programmes, including the anti-drug campaign... but I wish the bloodshed would stop," she adding, echoing many Filipinos' nuanced backing of the crackdown.

The opening of the polls were accompanied by isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines' frequently bloody competition for elected posts.

At least 20 people have been killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run up to the vote, according to an official count.

Early on Monday nine people were shot and wounded during a confrontation at a polling station on the restive southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans, according to the military.

The violence is more frequent with the lower level races and will not likely be a major feature in the election's main contest for the Senate.

Winning a Senate majority, something that independent national surveys indicate is well within reach, would give Duterte legislative backing for his anti-crime proposals and his plan to rewrite the constitution.

Historically, the nation's 24 senators -- who serve six-year terms -- have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house.

The opposition warns that could lead to the single-term limit for the presidency being lifted, allowing him to seek re-election despite his repeated statements that he would stand down at the end of his mandate.

It would also allow him to expand his contentious anti-drug crackdown by bringing back the death penalty, a pledge that the UN Human Rights Council said gave it "deep alarm".

The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished it again in 2006.

Duterte, 74, hit the campaign trail to get his supporters in the Senate, giving two-hour speeches at late-night rallies and routinely insulting their opponents -- referring to one by an anti-gay slur and accusing another of working for communist guerrillas.

The results for municipal and city mayors and councils are expected within hours of polls closing at 6:00 pm Monday, with winners for the Senate and congressional seats likely to be declared from Friday.

Even if the presidential term limit is not lifted, the Duterte family looks well-placed to continue its reign.

The president's daughter Sara -- being eyed by some as the president's potential successor in the 2022 vote -- is running to keep her post as mayor in its southern bailiwick of Davao city.

Her younger brother Sebastian is seeking, unopposed, the city's vice-mayoral seat, while Duterte's eldest son Paolo is standing for a seat in the lower House of Representatives. </s> Filipinos vote Monday in midterm polls that are expected to strengthen President Rodrigo Duterte's grip on power, opening the way for him to deliver on pledges to restore the death penalty and rewrite the constitution.

Duterte has found international infamy for his foul-mouthed tirades, but remains hugely popular among Filipinos fed up with the country's dysfunction and elite politicians.

He wants to bring back capital punishment for drug-related crimes as part of a deadly crackdown on narcotics in which thousands of suspects and drug dependents have already been killed.

His tough-on-crime platform -- which also includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12 -- was key to his landslide election victory in 2016.

More than 18,000 posts are at stake when polls open for the more than 61 million registered voters at 6:00 am (2200 GMT Sunday), including half of the seats in the upper house Senate.

But for Duterte the key is wresting control of an independent-minded Senate while keeping the House of Representatives in the hands of his allies.

Historically, the nation's 24 senators -- who serve six-year terms -- have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house.

Winning a Senate majority, something which independent national surveys indicate is well within reach, would give him legislative backing for his anti-crime proposals and his plan to rewrite the constitution.

The opposition warns that could lead to the single-term limit for the presidency being lifted, allowing him to seek re-election despite his repeated statements that he would stand down at the end of his mandate.

It would also allow him to expand his contentious anti-drug crackdown by bringing back the death penalty, a pledge which the UN Human Rights Council said gave it "deep alarm".

The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished again in 2006.

The 73-year-old hit the campaign trail to get his supporters in the Senate, giving two-hour speeches at late-night rallies and routinely insulting their opponents -- calling one a "faggot" and accusing another of lawyering for communist guerrillas.

The results for municipal and city mayors and councils are expected within hours after the polls close at 6:00 pm Monday, with winners for the Senate and congressional seats scheduled to be declared from Friday.

Even if the presidential term limit is not lifted, the Duterte family looks well-placed to continue after him.

The president's daughter Sara -- tipped by many as the president's potential successor in the 2022 presidential vote -- is running to keep her post as mayor in its southern bailiwick of Davao city.

Her younger brother Sebastian is seeking, unopposed, the city's vice-mayoral seat, while the eldest presidential son Paolo is standing for a seat in the House of Representatives.

Electoral contests in the Philippines have always been bloody, with dozens, including candidates and their supporters, getting killed in the fierce competition for posts that are a source of wealth in a nation with deep poverty.

Police are on full alert to safeguard Monday's balloting as the bloody trend continued this year, with 14 dead and 14 wounded in "election-related violent incidents" since January, according to a grim official count. </s> Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies were poised for victory in midterm polls, according to unofficial results on Tuesday, signalling firm approval of his policies and clearing a path for his most controversial plans.

Duterte’s deadly drug war has drawn international censure, but is central to the populist appeal that has buoyed his remarkable popularity among Filipinos since taking the presidency in 2016.

In Monday’s vote, administration loyalist candidates for the Senate were headed for a resounding election win, according to data released by the PPCRV, a Catholic-run poll monitor accredited by the government to tally votes.

With 94% of ballots counted early on Tuesday, Duterte allies were on track to take nine of 12 open seats in the upper house, which has been a bulwark against some of the president’s most controversial proposals.

Official, complete results from the nation’s elections commission are expected in the coming days.

Historically, the nation’s 24 senators – who serve six-year terms – have had a reputation for being more independent-minded than the lower house.

As part of his drug crackdown that has killed more than 5,000 people, Duterte has pledged to bring back the death penalty and lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 12.

The Philippines outlawed capital punishment in 1987, reinstated it six years later and then abolished it again in 2006.

He also promised to rewrite the nation’s constitution to create a federal republic where regions would be given more power to tackle the nation’s deep rooted poverty.

However, opponents see those plans as an effort to extend his hold on power or weaken the nation’s democratic institutions.

“This election just gave Duterte carte blanche to push his brand of governance to its logical conclusion: complete transformation of the nation’s political system,” analyst Richard Heydarian told AFP.

More than 18,000 positions were at stake in the vote, primarily local posts, but also half the Senate and nearly 300 seats in the lower House of Representatives.

The polls saw isolated outbursts of violence, which is not unusual in the Philippines’ frequently bloody competition for elected seats.

At least 20 people were killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run-up to the vote, according to an official count.

The military said nine people were shot and wounded Monday during a confrontation at a polling station on the southern island of Jolo, which is home to insurgents and powerful local clans.

Turnout was steady throughout the day and voters across the country flooded social media with images of their ink-stained fingernails, which are daubed blue as a protection against voter fraud.

“I voted for many of the candidates endorsed by President Duterte because his government is doing its job,” voter Myrna Cruz, 51, told AFP in Manila.

“I support their programmes, including the anti-drug campaign ... but I wish the bloodshed would stop,” she added, echoing many Filipinos’ nuanced backing of the crackdown. </s> Millions of Indonesians queued up outside voting booths on Wednesday to elect the next of the world's third largest democracy as faces off against longtime rival and former

Some 192.8 million people are eligible to vote across the archipelago's 17,000 islands in what is the world's biggest direct

Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, cast his vote in shortly after Subianto cast his in a polling station in Bogor, news reported.

After he left the polling station in the central district of Gambir, Widodo told the media that he was optimistic about the results as he and his party had worked for the people.

Widodo was leading by an average of 20 points in pre-poll surveys, although according to some analysts undecided and possible errors in polling may influence the final outcome.

The General Elections Commission of (KPU) expected a 77.5 per cent turnout and the government declared Wednesday a to ensure that there were no obstacles to voting.

In addition to electing the and Vice President, will also elect members of 575 seats of the lower house, 136 of the upper house, and representatives to the provincial and municipal legislative chambers.

Indonesian elections are one of the most complex in the world, as more than 190 million are called to vote at 800,000 polling stations to elect from 245,000 candidates for 20,000 posts in a single day.

Another two million Indonesians living abroad will cast their votes through postal ballots.

Indonesia, a Muslim-majority country, is one of Southeast Asia's most consolidated democracies, and political analysts find little possibility of any large-scale manipulation during the voting process.

However, Subianto, a few weeks earlier had reported irregularities in the electoral lists and threatened to approach the unless they were addressed. </s> THE Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), will start the recount of votes for the electoral protest filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo on Monday.

The place for the revision of votes for the Marcos-Robredo electoral protest will be at the gymnasium at the 5th Floor of the SC-Court of Appeals (CA) Building in Padre Faura, Manila.

The recount will be conducted until Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with two 15-minute breaks and a one-hour lunch break.

Lawyer Jose Lemuel Arenas, a PET ad hoc committee member, said the revision was the process of verifying the ballots, to recount the votes of the parties, and to record the objections or claims of the parties.

He said there were 5,418 clustered precincts that would cover the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, which were chosen by Marcos as the best provinces where he could prove the irregularities he cited in his poll protest.

Arenas said for each table, there will be three revisors – the head revisor (employee of PET), the protestant’s revisor and the protestee’s revisor.

The revisors will not be allowed to bring in their personal belongings, including their mobile phones, inside the venue. The PET has provided a locker for their belongings.

He noted that the time limit per ballot box with less than 300 votes would be 5.5 hours while for 300-700 votes would be 8.25 hours and for more than 700 votes would be 11 hours.

The tribunal is expecting some 213 personnel to come in per day during the recount. These include 60 employees of the tribunal, psychometricians, lawyers and representatives of both parties, and the revisors.

The revisors are part of the tribunal’s committee tasked to examine the contested ballots.

Arenas, said that the PET was currently housing some 1,400 ballot boxes from Camarines Sur.

Arenas said that other ballot boxes were currently with the Commission on Elections, due to storage issues.

Once the recount on the first 1,400 ballot boxes is done, the PET will receive the other ballot boxes from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Police Security Protection Group and PET guards will secure the recount venue round-the-clock.

CCTVs were also installed on all four corners of the recount venue and the storage area.

Lawyer Ma. Carina Cunanan, another PET ad hoc committee member, said that the tribunal was expecting to augment 101 security personnel this coming week with more members of the PNP.

She added that the parties would not be allowed to bring in their security.

The PET said it still could not determine when the recount would be finished.

The recount was initially scheduled in February, was later reset to March 19, and again moved to April 2.

Both camps agreed to withdraw all motions they had filed before the PET to be able to proceed with the recount.

Marcos filed the protest on June 29, 2016, claiming that the camp of Robredo cheated in the automated polls in May that year.

In his protest, Marcos contested the results from 132,446 precincts in 39,221 clusters, covering 27 provinces and cities.

In his preliminary conference briefing, Marcos also sought for a recount in Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Robredo filed her answer in August 2017 and also submitted a counter-protest, questioning the results from more than 30,000 polling precincts in several provinces where Marcos won.

She also sought the dismissal of the protest for lack of merit and jurisdiction of the PET.

The high tribunal, in a ruling in early 2018, junked Robredo’s plea and proceeded with the case after finding the protest sufficient in form and substance.

Robredo won the vice presidential race in the May 2016 polls with 14,418,817 votes or 263,473 more than Marcos’ 14,155,344 votes. PNA
Voters in the Philippines go to the polls to elect new members of the Senate of the Philippines and House of Representatives of the Philippines, as well as various other local positions.