With less than three months left before the highly anticipated midterm elections on May 12, Filipinos are gearing up to exercise their right to suffrage and decide who they think will best serve the country for the years to come.
But for JC Rosauro, 30, a first-time voter from San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, one thing is for sure: He will not participate in the upcoming polls after the House of Representatives moved to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte from her post on Feb. 5.
“Sinabi nila para sa taumbayan ‘yung boto, pero bakit sila ‘yung nagdedesiyon para tanggalin ‘yun? [They said the vote was for the people, so why are they the ones deciding to remove it?]” Rosauro said.
“Wala nang pagbabago eh. E kung ganyan lang, sino pa ‘yung sisipagin [bumoto] [There’s no change anymore. If it’s just like this, who would still be motivated to vote?]” he added.
Rosauro is a former overseas worker who spent six years abroad. He said that he decided to register because it was only last year that he had time to do so.
Garry (not his real name), who voted for the Bongbong-Sara tandem in the 2022 elections, shares the same sentiment.
He expressed that the attempt to oust Duterte has exacerbated the already “flawed” Philippine political system, which discouraged him from engaging in the upcoming elections, particularly as the political tandem he once supported now seems to be fractured and fragmented.
“Dapat ang eleksyon, magsama-sama kayong matiwasay, hindi ‘yung siraan. Silipan kayo nang silipan sa budget ng may budget. Bakit hindi niyo silipin ‘yung budget niyo? [Elections should be about coming together peacefully, not tearing each other down. You keep scrutinizing the budget of those who have one. Why not take a look at your own?]” Garry said.
Rose (also not her real name), who plans to forgo her vote this year, believes that Duterte is innocent of the allegations leveled against her. She now regrets supporting President Marcos in the 2022 elections.
“E yung problema lang naman ni Sara ay binantaan niya si Marcos na papatayin [Sara’s only problem is that she threatened to kill Marcos.]” she said.
JC, Garry, and Rose are among the 68,618,667 registered voters tallied by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) expected to cast their votes this year. But despite the staggering number, some have decided not to go to the precincts to lodge their votes, seeing the impeachment as a politically motivated maneuver to eliminate Duterte from future elections.
In a historic move, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte on Feb. 5, following the fourth impeachment complaint filed against her over serious allegations of misusing or abusing public funds, particularly confidential funds, and threatening to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
A total of 215 out of 306 House members signed the impeachment motion. However, Duterte is not yet officially removed—the Senate must still convict her with at least 16 votes out of 24 senators which would prevent her from seeking any position in the 2028 elections.
Impact on voter turnout
The decision of some Filipinos to abstain is expected to influence voter turnout, especially in the midterm elections, which have been declining in recent years, according to Danilo Arao, convenor of the poll watchdog Kontra Daya.
“Over the years, voter turnout tends to be lower during midterm elections compared to presidential [or] vice-presidential ones,” Arao told the Inquirer.
Although voter turnout in the 2022 elections was higher than in the 2019 midterm elections, with a 76% participation rate, it’s important to note that 11.8 million registered voters still chose not to cast their ballots, with 55.6 million voters casting their votes out of 67.4 million registered voters.
After all, more people engage in presidential and vice-presidential elections than midterms.
“Presidential and vice-presidential races typically generate more interest because of the significance of electing the country’s top officials, compared to simply selecting 12 senators and local officials,” Arao noted.
This is why Filipinos are particularly concerned about Duterte’s impeachment.
Overseas voters
Beyond domestic turnout concerns, overseas absentee voting has long been a challenge for Philippine elections.
In 2022, the voter turnout among overseas Filipinos stood at just 38%, with about 600,000 out of 1.6 million registered overseas voters participated in the election, according to Comelec.
A 2023 report from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) revealed that many Filipinos abroad face steep costs to cast their ballots, with some spending up to P400 just to vote.
To address this, the Comelec decided to implement online voting, aiming for a 70-80% turnout this year.
Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, who pushed for the adoption of online voting to encourage more overseas Filipinos to register and vote, lauded the poll body’s decision.
“Giving migrant Filipinos a fast, convenient, and secure means of casting their vote online will surely encourage them to exercise their right to suffrage. The active participation of OFWs in the electoral process is a positive sign for democracy and our country’s future,” he said.
The Comelec announced on its Facebook page that the pre-voting enrollment period for overseas voting will run from March 10 to May 7.
Not for the poor?
Zenaida (also not her real name) shared that in addition to the impeachment of Duterte, she has become increasingly disengaged from the midterm polls because many of the candidates vying for office prioritize their own agendas, such as protecting their business ventures.
“‘Yung ibang tumatakbo diyan, hindi nga nangungurakot, pero tingnan mo, tumatakbo para mapangalagaan at ma-promote ‘yung mga negosyo nila,” Zenaida said
“Magaling lang sila ‘pag tumatakbo,” she added.
In a media forum on Feb. 12, Kontra Daya bared that half of the party-list groups hoping to get elected this year do not genuinely represent marginalized sectors.
Seven of these groups—leading in the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey from December 2024 to December 2025—were flagged for having ties to political clans, large businesses, or the police and military.
The flagged party-list groups are as follows:
- 4PS
- ACT-CIS
- Duterte Youth
- Ako Bicol
- FPJ Bantay Bayanihan
- Tingog Sinirangan
- TGP
‘Impeachment should motivate voters’
Asked about the decision of voters to abstain from casting their ballots to back Duterte, Arao stressed that voters need to reevaluate their understanding of democracy and governance, saying that the articles about the Vice President’s impeachment contained serious allegations.
He urged Filipinos to use the impeachment issue as motivation to vote responsibly.
“The impeachment, in other words, should motivate voters all the more to choose wisely so that only the deserving will get elected,” he said.
Meanwhile, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia urged the public in November last year to participate in the elections as part of the democratic process.
“When it comes to democracy, it can’t be just one sector. When democracy is at stake, an entire country, a whole nation is involved. And because of that, our survival is at stake,” Garcia said.
Inquirer Volunteers is still welcoming volunteers to cover the midterm elections. Kindly sign up and submit a copy of your résumé and portfolio here.
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