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MANILA, Philippines — The next Senate is shaping up to be a family affair, with one-third of its members soon to come from four sets of siblings. This follows the victory of relatives of incumbent senators in the 2025 senatorial race.
Alongside the Villars, Cayetanos and Estrada-Ejercito brothers, the Senate will soon include two Tulfos, bringing the total to four political families represented in the 20th Congress.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) proclaimed the 12 winning senators on Saturday, May 17, which includes brothers and sisters of current senators.
The Tulfos
Rep. Erwin Tulfo, who placed fourth with 17.12 million votes, is a newcomer to the Senate. He will join his brother, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who topped the senatorial race in 2022.
The Tulfo family’s political reach extends to the lower house, where Raffy’s wife, Rep. Jocelyn Tulfo, is poised to retain her seat. ACT-CIS Party-list, which she represents, is among the top performers in the party-list race and is likely to secure two seats.
Their son, Rep. Ralph Tulfo, also won reelection as Quezon City’s 2nd District representative.
Erwin ran under the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate, facing two disqualification complaints over controversies regarding his American citizenship and political dynasty.
These complaints were dismissed by the poll body. He, however, said he would support an anti-political dynasty bill if proposed and would resign if it is passed.
The Villars
Another fresh face, Rep. Camille Villar (Las Piñas, Lone District) clinched a Senate seat after placing 10th with 13.65 million votes.
Although she campaigned alongside Alyansa bets, she sought the endorsement of Vice President Sara Duterte.
This came after former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested and transferred to the International Criminal Court’s custody over crimes against humanity charges.
Camille also follows in the footsteps of her mother, Sen. Cynthia Villar, who is set to step down due to term limits.
Cynthia had attempted to switch roles with her daughter by running for Las Piñas district representative, but lost to Mark Anthony Santos. Her husband, billionaire Manny Villar, the wealthiest Filipino according to Forbes, also served several terms as a senator before Cynthia.
However, one Villar remains in the Senate. Camille’s brother, Sen. Mark Villar, was elected in 2022 and still has three years left in his term.
The Villar family has come under fire following several reports and complaints about poor service from their water utility company, Prime Water, which is managed by Camille and Mark’s brother, Paolo.
Calls for congressional probes into the private utility have already been raised.
Old siblings
Cayetanos. With new Tulfos and Villars joining their siblings in the upper house, there are also incumbent sibling senators in the Senate. One of them is the Cayetanos.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, an incumbent legislator who has served three terms in the Senate, secured ninth place in the 2025 midterm polls with 14.57 million votes. She is set to begin her fourth term in the 20th Congress.
She will continue to work with her brother, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who was elected in 2022 for his third term. He still has three years left before the 2028 elections, where he will be eligible to run again.
Ejercito-Estrada. The fourth set of siblings in the Senate is the Ejercito-Estrada duo, half-brothers and sons of ousted President Joseph “Erap” Estrada.
Both Sen. JV Ejercito and Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada won in the 2022 elections for a six-year term in the Senate.
The next Senate, however, will not only feature sibling duos but also retain familiar faces from the entertainment industry, with Sen. Lito Lapid successfully securing reelection.
It will also include incumbent senators Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa and Imee Marcos, as well as returning senators Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan, Tito Sotto and Ping Lacson.
RELATED: Who are the 12 senators-elect? Five incumbents, four returnees, three newcomers
The Senate is made up of 24 members, each serving a maximum of two consecutive terms. Every three years, 12 senators are elected for a six-year term. With eight members from four political families, they already represent one-third of the incoming Senate.
