Negros Occidental vote for Senate bets shows break from old political lines

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The lists vary, but the diversity in Negros Occidental's voting mirrors national trends

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – In a province shaped by its long memory of the Marcos dictatorship and dissent, voters delivered a mixed but deliberate verdict in the 2025 Senate race, elevating both critics and allies of the Marcos administration, and apparently signaling a shift toward issue-based judgment over partisan loyalty.

Topping the senatorial race in the province is former senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, who ran under the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino Party. He garnered a combined 824,858  votes – 674,684 from Negros Occidental and 150,271 from Bacolod, according to official results released Thursday, May 16, by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Negros Island Region.

Aquino was followed closely by Erwin Tulfo of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition, who received 729,899 combined votes.

Duterte ally and reelectionist Senator Christopher “Bong” Go of PDP-Laban placed third in Negros Occidental with 706,955 while another Marcos-backed candidate, ex-senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, ranked fourth with 618,831 votes

Former senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, also running independently, came in fifth with  590,475 votes.

In Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City, the list of top 12 senatorial candidates are as follows:

• Aquino
• Tulfo
• Go
• Lacson
• Pangilinan
• Pia Cayetano
• Tito Sotto
• Ben Tulfo
• Lito Lapid
• Abby Binay
• Camille Villar
• Manny Pacquiao

The presence of both Aquino and Pangilinan – seen as neither pro-Marcos nor pro-Duterte – in the list of the province’s top five candidates was welcomed by civil society group leaders. During the campaign, they presented themselves as independent bets.

Negros Occidental, a vote-rich province with a politically active electorate, showed signs of shifting political dynamics, with results reflecting a blend of loyalty, issue-based voting, and strategic local endorsements rather than clear partisan lines.

Former Negros Occidental governor Rafael “Lito” Coscolluela, a convenor of 1Sambayan, called it a “surprise gift” from Negrense voters and a sign that the opposition remains viable.

Coscolluela cited several factors behind the outcome, including growing voter discernment, especially among younger voters; disillusionment with traditional campaign styles; and the Marcos-Duterte rift that reshaped many local alliances.

He also noted the rise of volunteer-led campaigns and non-traditional political organizing.

Have voters of Negros Occidental become more discerning and empowered then? Will the clout of dynasties and well-funded political machineries begin to wane? “Yes, because many deserving candidates have won. And no, because everything wrong with the electoral system is still there and won’t be dismantled anytime soon,” Coscolluela said of the mixed results.

Negros Occidental has long been viewed as politically active and historically critical of the Marcoses, particularly during the sugar crisis of the 1980s that led to widespread hunger and unrest. While the past continues to shape political memory in the province, this year’s results suggested a more nuanced landscape.

Interestingly, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson of the Marcos administration-allied Nationalist People’s Coalition endorsed both Aquino and Pangilinan, indicating local support for candidates across the political spectrum.

Lacson cited Aquino’s education platform and Pangilinan’s advocacy for agriculture, a key sector in the province’s economy.

The lists varied, but the diversity in Negros Occidental’s voting mirrored national trends. Based on the National Certificate of Canvass (NCOC) released on Thursday, the top 12 senatorial candidates nationwide are the following: 

• Go – 27,121,073
• Aquino – 20,971,899
• Bato dela Rosa – 20,773,946
• Tulfo – 17,118,881
• Pangilinan – 15,343,229
• Rodante Marcoleta – 15,250,723
• Lacson – 15,106,111
• Sotto – 14,832,996
• Cayetano – 14,573,430
• Villar – 13,651,274
• Lapid – 13,394,102
• Imee Marcos – 13,339,227

–Rappler.com