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Cristina Chi - Philstar.com
May 17, 2025 | 5:32pm
Senatorial candidates Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan pose for a photo during their final campaign rally on May 10, 2025.
Bam Aquino via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — Former senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan secured their Senate return with their official proclamation as winners on Saturday, May 17 — a comeback powered by the Pink movement and public weariness of the Marcos-Duterte feud.
Aquino and Pangilinan, who ran under the "KiBam" alliance, pulled off surprise upsets in the midterm elections on Monday (May 12), finishing second and fifth, respectively, despite trailing in most pre-election surveys.
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During the proclamation ceremony, Aquino recalled starting outside the top 20 in pre-election surveys. But he said his campaign gained ground thanks to young volunteers who went house to house and flooded social media with support.
"The mandate you have given me will not be wasted... We will ensure reforms in education, the availability of jobs, and the upliftment of Filipinos. We will work on these every single day," Aquino said in mixed English and Filipino.
Pangilinan was not present at the proclamation on Saturday as he was attending his daughter Frankie's graduation in the United States. He was represented by his sister Maricel Pangilinan-Arenas, who read his statement.
In his message, Pangilinan stressed the need to address rising prices, widespread hunger, and deep societal divisions, saying voters chose "the path of compassion, unity, and concrete action."
"I return to the Senate not only carrying promises, but with the purpose to work, to serve, and to stand up for every Filipino who dreams of a better and more prosperous future," he said.
Aquino last sought reelection in 2019 but fell short at 14th place amid the Duterte administration's sweep of the Senate race. Meanwhile, Pangilinan abandoned his 2022 reelection bid in the Senate to be former Vice President Leni Robredo's vice-presidential running mate. He lost alongside Robredo.
But in the midterm elections that concluded Monday, at least 20.97 million voters backed Aquino, while 13.34 million voted for Pangilinan, carrying them to the upper half of the Magic 12.
These numbers have taken political observers by surprise as earlier pre-election forecasts predicted a sweep by Marcos- and Duterte-aligned candidates. Both slates had, at one point, taken potshots at each other on the campaign trail, with Duterte-endorsed candidates repeatedly casting themselves as the victims of the current administration.
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On the campaign trail, Aquino and Pangilinan — who were endorsed by former Vice President Leni Robredo — distanced themselves from the partisan conflict, deliberately avoiding the "opposition" label that they previously embraced.
Instead, they positioned themselves as independent alternatives focused on specific policy issues rather than long-entrenched rivalries: Pangilinan with food security issues, Aquino with access to education and employment.
Fractured Senate. Aquino and Pangilinan's victory now thrusts them into a Senate that will soon convene to hold an impeachment trial for Duterte.
They will join Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who, before this, was part of a tiny two-member minority bloc, alongside outgoing Sen. Koko Pimentel.
Aquino in his speech emphasized the need for unity in the upper chamber to address the country's most pressing issues. "My hope and dream for this Senate is that we all work together to provide solutions to the problems faced by our fellow Filipinos," Aquino said.
The newly configured Senate that will decide Duterte's political future has no dominant voting bloc, with only six administration-backed candidates making it to the Magic 12.
This fractured chamber means just nine senators could vote to acquit Duterte — a political reality that makes the trial's outcome anyone's guess once the 20th Congress convenes.
