MANILA -- Senate candidates backed by President Rodrigo Duterte are on track to take over most of the 12 seats contested in the Philippines' midterm elections, resulting in a crushing defeat for the country's opposition.
The scale of Duterte's victory in Monday's polls is the biggest for a president since the restoration of democracy in 1987. His popularity has thrust political newcomers onto the national stage, and is a massive blow for opponents seeking to push back against what they say is an increasingly autocratic government.
