Two liberal Philippine politicians have emerged as key players after a surprisingly strong performance in Senate elections, gaining support from a bloc of voters dissatisfied with rancor between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has been dealt an unexpected blow in the midterms, with his Senate candidates set to pick up fewer seats than expected, according to early results. The election was a showdown between Marcos and his Vice-President Sara Duterte,

Even though he is detained in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is among the candidates vying for some 18,000 national and local seats in Monday’s midterm elections