Senate winners proclaimed

It is final: President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies took most of the 12 Senate seats available during last week’s midterm elections, strengthening his clout in Congress and signaling strong public support for the firebrand leader nearly three years into his presidency.

The final and official tally of votes showed nine Duterte-backed candidates won a seat at the upper house. Those proclaimed winners of the elections are Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe, Bong Go, Pia Cayetano, Bato Dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Koko Pimentel, Bong Revilla, and Nancy Binay.

Members of the Philippine Senate, who serve six-year terms, had been known for being more independent-minded than their colleagues at the House of Representatives.

Duterte has put forward plans to revamp the country’s tax system to help fund his ambitious infrastructure program, and rewrite the Constitution to clear the way to a switch to a federal form of government, among others.

Duterte’s policy agenda, however, would need lawmaker’s backing, a difficult-to-meet requirement that had crippled his predecessors’ attempts to push for some of their key reforms.

Analysts have said the results of the midterm polls could bode well for policy continuity during Duterte’s remaining term, but could also weigh on the system of checks and balances in the country.

“The election was widely seen as a test of Duterte’s popularity and as an opportunity for him to consolidate power by gaining control of the Senate, which had proved an obstacle to his policy plans in the first three years of his presidency,” analysts at Fitch Solutions said in a commentary.

“The strong show of support for Duterte will both give him the confidence and ability to push ahead with his reform program,” they added. —