Philippines midterm elections

The election is seen as a referendum on President Benigno Aquino's reform policies.

On May 13, the Philippines held midterm elections, electing 18,000 leaders from Congress to local levels. The election is also seen as a referendum on the reform policies of Philippine President Benigno Aquino.

Bustling atmosphere outside a polling station in Manila (Photo: AFP)

Polling stations across the Philippines opened at 7 a.m. local time on May 13, with more than 52 million eligible voters expected to cast their ballots. Philippine police and military are on high alert amid violence that has erupted since the election campaign began, claiming more than 60 lives since February.

French news agency AFP quoted the Philippine President's spokeswoman as saying that President Aquino called on Philippine voters to show confidence in the government and support him in promoting the reforms he has pledged.

President Aquino won the 2010 election with a pledge to eradicate corruption, which is considered the cause of poverty in this Asian country. The reforms that President Aquino has implemented since taking office have been highly appreciated by the international community and helped to upgrade the Philippines' credit rating in the international market.

On domestic issues, President Aquino is also moving closer to signing a peace agreement with the Moro Muslim rebels, to end the conflict and violence that has killed 150,000 people since the 1970s. President Aquino's effort is to control both houses of Congress, making it easier to pass a law to create a new autonomous region in the Muslim-controlled southern Philippines.

The midterm elections in the Philippines will decide all seats in the House of Representatives and half of the seats in the Senate./.

According to VOV - DT