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MANILA, Philippines — Five days after the polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has officially proclaimed the next set of senators, most of whom are incumbent or returning lawmakers.
In a formal ceremony at The Manila Hotel on May 17, the poll body announced the 12 newly-elected senators, led by Sen. Bong Go who garnered 27.12 million votes.
Go topped the race with a lead of around 7 million votes, securing a second consecutive term as one of five incumbent senators who made it into the “Magic 12.”
Once clinging to the edge of the top 12 in pre-election surveys, former Sen. Bam Aquino pulled off an upset, staging a surprise comeback to claim the second spot with 20.97 million votes.
Running as an independent while closely working with national and local Liberal Party leaders, Aquino stunned the public with his strong showing. He is now one of four former senators returning to the Senate.
Aquino had previously served as campaign manager for former Vice President Leni Robredo during her 2022 presidential bid. Robredo’s running mate at that time also became Aquino’s duo in the 2025 senatorial race.
Former Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, who completes the "Kiko-Bam" campaign, also defied expectations, finishing fifth with 15.34 million votes. In pre-election surveys, Pangilinan lagged behind Aquino, ranking around 15th, which was well outside the cutoff.
Placing third in the senatorial race was Sen. Bato dela Rosa, who garnered 20.77 million votes. He was just about 200,000 short of overtaking Aquino.
Before entering the Senate in 2019, Dela Rosa served as former President Rodrigo Duterte’s police chief and was widely known as the chief architect of the administration’s war on drugs through “Project Double Barrel” or “Oplan Tokhang.”
Dela Rosa has long worked closely with Go, particularly during the Duterte administration when Go served as the president’s special assistant, earning him the moniker “SAP Bong Go.”
Alyansa bets' performance
Meanwhile, the administration’s top-performing senatorial candidate, Rep. Erwin Tulfo (ACT-CIS), placed fourth with 17.12 million votes. He is the brother of Sen. Raffy Tulfo, who topped the Senate race in 2022.
Erwin is one of three lawmakers set to become first-time senators in the 20th Congress, alongside Rep. Rodante Marcoleta (SAGIP) and Rep. Camille Villar (Las Piñas, Lone District), who placed sixth and 10th, respectively.
Marcoleta is term-limited in the House of Representatives after serving three consecutive terms since 2016. Villar, on the other hand, has served two straight terms since 2019.
Both have received the endorsement of Vice President Sara Duterte, despite Villar being part of the administration’s Alyansa slate.
RELATED: Split Senate seen: Marcos, Duterte slates both falter in midterm battle
The other senators-elect include four candidates from Alyansa: former Sen. Ping Lacson, former Senate President Tito Sotto, Sen. Pia Cayetano, and Sen. Lito Lapid. They secured the seventh, eighth, ninth and 11th spots, respectively.
For Lacson, Cayetano and Lapid, the upcoming Congress will mark their fourth overall term in the Senate, while it will be Sotto’s fifth.
Rounding out the top 12 is Sen. Imee Marcos, the president’s older sister, with 13.34 million votes.
During the campaign season, she was torn between siding with the Marcoses or the Dutertes — initially joining the Alyansa slate before ditching it later to align with the impeached vice president.
Six-year term, Sara's trial
The elected senators will serve a fresh six-year term from 2025 to 2031, spanning the 20th and 21st Congresses of the Philippines. They will take their oath of office on June 30.
These 12 senators-elect will also be the first batch of lawmakers to enter the next administration in 2028 with direct knowledge and experience under the Marcos Jr. administration.
For now, all eyes are on Sara’s impending impeachment trial in July — an event that turned the elections into an even higher-stakes numbers game.
A two-thirds vote from the 24-member chamber is required to convict her, meaning just nine votes against conviction would be enough to acquit and keep her in office, eligible to run in the 2028 elections.
See Comelec's final senatorial ranking in the 2025 midterm elections here.
