But now his camp holds 20 of the 24 seats in the Senate.

The voting on May 13 was heavily clouded by election-day violence and anomalies at polling stations and, later, by inexplicable delays by the election commission. Vote buying, Mr. Duterte told a journalist as he emerged from casting his own ballot, is “integral” to elections in the Philippines. “There are no candidates who do not buy votes.”

More integral still, perhaps, is Filipinos’ enduring attraction to strongmen leaders despite the abuses they have endured as a result. These elections prove not only that Mr. Duterte’s electoral machinery is working well, but also that voters are more than ready to look past his authoritarianism — apparently for the sake of quick justice and a semblance of security, however slight. Opinion polls report respondents saying that there are fewer drug users around them . According to a survey from late March, just a few weeks before the election, 79 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with the president’s performance.

Mr. Duterte’s latest success now paves the way for him to extend his tenure beyond the existing one-term limit by redrawing the system altogether.

In December, the House of Representatives approved various amendments to the Constitution that would move the Philippines toward greater federalism. Congress still needs to vet them — though it’s not immediately clear whether a two-thirds or a three-quarters majority is required for that nor if the requirement applies to both houses voting together or separately. Then, the changes would have to be approved by popular referendum. All of this could be a long, drawn-out affair, but it may well happen before the next general election, in 2022, when Mr. Duterte’s term is set to expire.

The president has said that he would not seek another term under a new constitution. But there is ample reason to doubt that. Alternatively — especially if the process drags on — his administration could try to extend its tenure by recasting itself as a caretaker government that needs to oversee the transition to a federal system.

Opinion polls suggest that Filipinos hardly endorse the move toward more federalism. For now, though, they certainly continue to endorse Mr. Duterte. It seems that more and more, the people of the Philippines may well have the president they deserve.

Vergel O. Santos is a columnist for Rappler, a Manila-based online news site.

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