MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte sees a 50/50 chance of winning for candidates endorsed by his administration this midterm polls.

Duterte, who voted for the first time as President on Monday, said he has always placed his odds in politics at 50/50.

"Ever since I have been in politics, it’s always at the start of the election campaign, I would always place it at 50/50 ang odds," he told reporters in an ambush interview after voting at a public school in Davao City.

"Maski na malakas ako sa survey, maski wala akong kalaban, it is always a 50/50 proposition," he added.

• Duterte casts vote in high-stakes midterm polls

Up for grabs are 12 Senate seats, nearly 300 spots at the House of Representatives and over 17,000 local government posts.

Results of the midterm polls will determine whether the President could keep his hold on Congress to ensure the support of the legislature for his programs in his last 3 years in office.

"It could be taken as one referendum. So that if you agree with me, then you can vote for my candidates or the people I am supporting this election," Duterte said.

"If you agree with me then you can vote for my candidates. If I am repudiated from the loss of all candidates coming from the Hugpong slate, that can indicate that the majority of the people ayaw nila ako (they don't want me)," he added.

Instead of endorsing a single 12-man senatorial slate, the Duterte administration endorsed the candidacy of several politicians under the ruling PDP-Laban party and regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which is chaired by the President's eldest daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

• Wait begins for midterm polls endgame