DAVAO CITY — Former president Rodrigo Duterte spends his days in a small, spartan room in detention at The Hague, awaiting trial for a bloody war on drugs that killed thousands during his time in office.

But halfway around the world, in his hometown of Davao City, Duterte is on the ticket for mayor in midterm elections on Monday that he is widely expected to win, riding on support in the family stronghold, though it may not translate nationwide.

"I've seen what he accomplished as both mayor and president, from his fight against drug lords to what he did for the country," said Jennifer Maumbas, 28, a worker in a small cafe that displayed Duterte's visage on a banner.

"No matter what happens, we're solidly for Duterte."

Duterte's arrest in March, following a request by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was a major blow to his powerful family, whose popularity surged after he swept to power in 2016 from his position as a maverick, crime-busting mayor.

As president, the tough-talking Duterte upended Philippine foreign policy and launched a "war on drugs" that rights groups say killed significantly more than a police estimate of 6,000, for which he is being tried in the Netherlands.

Yet his influence beyond Davao is far less certain, as the polls shape as a test of how far incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has managed to subdue the Dutertes' political machine, born in the southern city.

The Duterte name has a kind of mythic status in Davao, but perhaps less nationwide, said Ederson Tapia, a specialist in public administration at the University of Makati.

"All indications are that they still have a solid base," he added. "Whether that's enough to carry a serious campaign in 2028 remains to be seen — especially with the vice president now facing an impeachment complaint."

Duterte's daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, is seen as a potential contender in the 2028 presidential elections, but is besieged by political woes of her own.

She faces an impeachment trial on charges including a threat to assassinate Marcos, whose key ally she was in a 2022 team hailed as a powerhouse union of political dynasties.

But policy disagreements, power struggles and competing ambitions shattered the alliance, raising the stakes for both camps ahead of Monday's elections, in which more than 18,000 positions are up for grabs.

These include 317 congressional seats and thousands of local posts, but the fiercest contest centers on a dozen spots in the upper house Senate, which wields outsize influence on national affairs, its 24 members being jurors in impeachment proceedings.

Marcos' candidates remain ahead in polls and appear poised to dominate the Senate race, despite the sympathy generated for the Duterte camp by his arrest and detention.