The 2025 mid-term elections in the Philippines concluded on Monday, May 12, local time, with millions of Filipino voters casting their ballots. This election will determine half of the 24 seats in the Senate, all 317 seats in the House of Representatives, as well as over 18,000 positions for local government leaders and legislators.
As one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia, the outcome of the Philippines’ election will impact its political stability and economic policy direction.
The closely contested Senate race shows that the probability of candidates supported by incumbent President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and former President Rodrigo Duterte is nearly equal.
Official results will be announced in a week, at which point candidates will have the opportunity to challenge the results.
According to data from the Philippines’ Commission on Elections (Comelec) transparent media servers, as of 10:45 PM local time, with reports from over 76% of precincts (ranking may change with more votes counted), the leading Senate candidates include:
1st place: Christopher Bong Go, a loyalist of Duterte and incumbent senator, received 24.5 million votes, ranking first. Go emphasized Duterte’s teachings during his campaign, pledging to prioritize the interests of the nation and its people.
2nd place: Bam Aquino, an independent candidate and former senator, surprisingly ranked second, showing increased voter support for candidates outside the Marcos or Duterte camp.
3rd place: Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, another loyalist of Duterte and incumbent senator, ranked third.
4th place: Erwin Tulfo: a candidate supported by Marcos.
5th place: Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, an independent candidate and former senator, performed better than expected, similar to Aquino.
Among the top 12 candidates, 5 are aligned with Duterte, 5 support Marcos, and 2 are independent, indicating a clear division among the voter base. The 12th-ranked candidate received 12.1 million votes, surpassing the 13th candidate by over one million votes, reflecting intense competition.
This Senate election is seen as a proxy battle between the Marcos and Duterte families, crucial for Vice President Sara Duterte who will face an impeachment trial in July.
Sara, the eldest daughter of former President Duterte, was impeached by the House of Representatives in February on charges of misusing public funds and orchestrating the assassination of Marcos, among other serious crimes. She needs the support of 9 out of 24 Senate seats to avoid conviction and retain her eligibility to run for president in 2028.
Currently, of the 12 incumbent senators not involved in this election, 2 have explicitly stated their opposition to convicting Sara, while the remaining 10 have yet to take a stance. The newly elected senators will make up half of the impeachment trial jury, and if candidates supported by Marcos win more seats, it could increase the risk of Sara’s conviction.
Sara’s fate carries regional implications, as her father Duterte took a pro-China stance during his presidency from 2016 to 2022, while Marcos has shifted back to a pro-American position amid tense relations with China over the South China Sea issue.