Filipinos cast vote in midterm elections as Duterte looks to strengthen rule

People lined up to cast their votes of the mid-term elections in the Philippines on Monday (May 13).

Video captured at Bustos Elementary School in Bustos, Bulacan shows people queuing to vote.

Millions of voters in the Philippines took to the polls today as the country held mid-term elections in a major popularity test for controversial leader President Rodrigo Duterte.

Voting began at 6am local time with polls closing at 6pm, with around 61 million people eligible to take part.

Duterte is hoping to gain a Senate majority that would allow him to push for constitutional changes and restore the death penalty.

However, he is facing strong competition from groups opposed to his hard-line war on drugs which is seen as being responsible for thousands of unnecessary deaths.