The party of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the PDP-Laban party, won a serious majority of Philippine Senate seats up for election and also picked up a number of other government positions in an election that was widely viewed as a referendum on the first years of Duterte’s presidency. The gains in the Senate mean that Duterte will have greater legislative support for his agenda in the coming years. The results also indicate a strong measure of support for President Duterte, whose hardline policy on drug crime has been the subject of international controversy and has lead to accusations of human rights abuses.
Among the winners of the elections were three of Duterte’s children, who won seats as Mayor of Davao, Vice-Mayor of Davao, and a position in the House of Representatives, respectively.
