MANILA, Philippines – Local candidates have been campaigning for months; only now is it official.

The formal campaign period for local elective aspirants in the 2025 midterm elections kicked off on March 28, compelling them to follow a set of parameters they did not have to observe in the months leading up to Friday.

These guidelines include not exceeding the antiquated spending cap, complying with the size limit for election paraphernalia, and installing posters only in authorized areas.

The Supreme Court effectively allowed premature campaigning in 2009, when it determined that while candidates are subject to campaign regulations, they are only officially considered candidates once the campaign period begins.

This explains why for the last year, public walls have been inundated with campaign posters, and why candidates were already making the rounds in their city, town, district, or province, explicitly asking the public to vote for them in May.

Friday’s campaign kickoff, in a way, is just for formality’s sake, although it signals the start of more aggressive efforts by local politicians to court voters, as the Philippines counts down to the last 45 days before election day.

If the 2022 elections were any indication, this means more frequent abuse of state resources, heightened disinformation tactics, and — as an Asian poll watchdog once called the Philippines’ biggest electoral flaw — more persistent vote-buying mechanisms.

More than 18,000 local posts are up for grabs, from city or municipal councilor, up to district lawmaker and governor.

The midterm elections, however, are unlikely to usher in massive change in local governance. A Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report says 142 out of 253 district representatives and 80 out of 149 city mayors are “dynasts seeking reelection.”

National politics coming into play?

What sets this election apart is the national political climate which threatens to spill over to the local races.

The official campaign period kickoff coincides with the birthday of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague, Netherlands, on an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, for crimes against humanity stemming from his bloody drug war.

The Philippine government under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. enforced that warrant, resulting in an electorate more divided than ever regarding the two feuding dynastic families.

This development, alongside the looming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, complicates local politicians’ strategies to secure votes.

For example, in competitive races, an endorsement from the Iglesia Ni Cristo — a religious group that has opposed Duterte’s arrest — could decide the outcome of an election. Local aspirants find themselves in a tricky spot, as they navigate the clashing sentiments of both Marcos’ and the Dutertes’ base of supporters.

An SWS survey conducted in February, though, after the impeachment of Vice President Duterte and before her father’s arrest, indicated that most Filipinos care more about gut issues than political dramas.

Around 90% of respondents said they would support candidates who would push for agriculture development, strengthen the health care system, increase job opportunities, provide equal access to education, and improve workers’ rights. – Rappler.com