Senate Race Finalized: Comelec Proclaims the 12 People's Senators of 2025 Elections

By Sherman Calotes | Philippine People's Press 

Five days after millions of Filipinos cast their votes, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), sitting en banc as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), formally proclaimed the 12 winning senatorial candidates in a grand ceremony held Saturday, May 17, at the historic Tent City of the Manila Hotel.

The proclamation marks the official conclusion of the senatorial race in the May 12, 2025 National and Local Elections. The newly elected senators will begin serving their six-year terms on June 30, 2025, and will remain in office until 2031.

“Now, therefore, by virtue of the power vested in it under the 1987 Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code, and other election laws, the Commission on Elections, sitting en banc as the National Board of Canvassers, hereby declares the 12 candidates as the duly elected senators of the Republic of the Philippines,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia solemnly announced during the open session.

The Top 12 Senators-Elect emerged victorious in the senatorial race:

Christopher “Bong” Go – 27,121,073 votes, Bam Aquino – 20,971,899 votes, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa – 20,773,946 votes, Erwin Tulfo – 17,118,881 votes, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan – 15,343,229 votes ,Rodante Marcoleta – 15,250,723 votes, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson 15,106,111 votes, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III – 14,832,996 votes, Pia Cayetano – 14,573,430 votes, Camille Villar – 13,651,274 votes, Lito Lapid – 13,394,102 votes, Imee Marcos – 13,339,227 votes

In an unexpected twist of tradition, the proclamation began with the 12th placer, Senator Imee Marcos, and concluded with the topnotcher, Senator Bong Go.

Eleven of the 12 senators-elect personally attended the proclamation ceremony, joined by family members, friends, and supporters. They were each called to the stage in order of their ranking as members of the NBOC read their respective Certificates of Proclamation.

Senator-elect Francis Pangilinan was notably absent as he was in the United States to attend the graduation of his daughter, Kakie Pangilinan. He was represented at the event by his siblings.

The event was marked by a blend of pageantry and solemnity, with supporters erupting in applause as each senator's name was called, signaling a new chapter in Philippine legislative leadership.

As the nation looks forward to the opening of the 20th Congress, the newly proclaimed senators are expected to take on critical roles in crafting policies addressing key national issues, from economic recovery to national security.

The Senate’s new composition brings together a mix of returning lawmakers, media personalities, and veteran politicians a blend that may shape the tone and direction of the upper chamber in the coming years.