2025 Philippine Senate election

The 2025 Philippine Senate election will be the 35th election of members to the Senate of the Philippines. It will be held on May 12, 2025, within the 2025 Philippine general election. The seats of the 12 senators elected in 2019 will be contested in this election. The senators that will be elected in this election will serve until 2031, joining the winners of the 2022 election to form the Senate's delegation to the 20th Congress of the Philippines, with the senators elected in 2022 serving until 2028.

The ruling administration of President Bongbong Marcos formed the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas, comprising the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Lakas–CMD, Nacionalista Party, National Unity Party (NUP), and the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), to contest the election. In the opposition, the Liberal Party plans to field candidates with the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP), while the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) will run candidates with Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP). The Makabayan bloc also plans to field a full slate of candidates for the election as the Oposisyon ng Bayan.

Background
In the 2022 election, the UniTeam Alliance backing the candidacies of eventual president Bongbong Marcos and vice president Sara Duterte won a plurality of seats in the Senate of the Philippines. Leading up to the convention of the 19th Congress, Senators Cynthia Villar and Migz Zubiri, both having run under UniTeam, were viewed as the frontrunners to succeed Senate President Tito Sotto, who left the Senate after being term-limited. After Zubiri presumptively earned enough votes to be elected Senate president and negotiations for a term-sharing agreement failed, Villar withdrew from the contest, leaving Zubiri unopposed for the Senate presidency.

Zubiri's term as Senate president was marked by speculation of efforts to unseat him. Such speculation was confirmed by Senator Imee Marcos, who stated that there were plans to oust Zubiri from the Senate presidency, attributing such efforts to pressure that "came from outside the Senate". On May 20, 2024, Zubiri resigned the Senate presidency after 15 senators expressed their support to oust him from the post. Senator Francis Escudero was nominated as his successor and was elected without objection.

While in government after the alliance's large victories in the election, Duterte remarked that the UniTeam Alliance had already "served its purpose" but claimed that the alliance was still "intact". Following mounting tensions between the Marcos and Duterte political clans, Duterte resigned from her roles as secretary of education and co-vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). Political observers saw Duterte's resignation from her positions in the Marcos administration as a confirmation of the collapse of the UniTeam Alliance. Some labeled Duterte as a potential "leader of the opposition", a label that she would reject, claiming that she was "still friends" with Marcos.

Political scientist Julio C. Teehankee observed that a broad united coalition is unlikely to form in 2025 given that the Liberal Party, the traditional political opposition since 2016, has more in common with the ruling Marcos administration and noted that "there is little value in debating" which political faction is the true opposition, noting the varied motivations for opposing an incumbent government.

Electoral system
The Philippines has a 24-member Senate elected at-large. Every three years since 1995, 12 seats are disputed. For 2025, the seats disputed in 2019 will be contested. Each voter has 12 votes, of which one can vote for one to twelve candidates, or a multiple non-transferable vote; the twelve candidates with the most votes are elected.

Senators are limited to serving two consecutive terms, although they are eligible for a third (and succeeding) non-consecutive term. Only half of the seats are up in every senatorial election. The winning senators will succeed those elected in 2019, and will join those elected in 2022 to form the 20th Congress.

Each party or coalition endorses a slate of candidates, typically not exceeding a 12-person ticket. A party may also choose to invite "guest candidates" to complete its slate. The party may even include, with the candidates' consent, independent candidates and candidates from other parties as the party's guest candidates. Parties also may form coalitions to endorse a multi-party slate of candidates.

Winning candidates are proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC). The NBOC usually proclaims senators-elect by batches, if that candidate can no longer fall to worse than twelfth place in the tally. Post-proclamation disputes are handled by the Senate Electoral Tribunal, a body composed of six senators and three justices from the Supreme Court.

Term-limited incumbents
The following are serving a successive six-year term and are barred from seeking reelection.


 * 1) Nancy Binay (UNA), intent unknown
 * On January 20, 2024, Binay stated in an interview on DWIZ-AM that she was "50 percent sure" that she would run for the mayoralty of Makati upon the end of her term as senator.
 * 1) Koko Pimentel (PDP), intent unknown
 * 2) Grace Poe (Independent), intent unknown
 * 3) Cynthia Villar (Nacionalista), intent unknown

Mid-term vacancies

 * 1) Sonny Angara (LDP)
 * On July 2, 2024, President Bongbong Marcos appointed Angara, a term-limited senator, to succeed Vice President Sara Duterte as secretary of education after the latter's resignation comes into effect on July 19. Upon assuming the office, Angara resigned from the Senate, leaving his seat vacant until his successor is elected in the regular election.

Parties in the outgoing Senate
In both chambers of Congress, members are organized into "blocs", akin to parliamentary groups elsewhere. In keeping with the traditions of the Third Philippine Republic which was under a two-party system, there are two main blocs, the majority and minority blocs; this is although the country is now in a multi-party system. Those who voted for the Senate president are from the majority bloc, while those who did not (if there are more than two candidates for the Senate presidency) will vote amongst themselves on who will be the minority bloc. Those who belong to neither bloc shall be the independent minority bloc. Members can also be from the independent bloc. Each bloc can have members from multiple parties. Only the majority and minority blocs have voting privileges in committees.

At the end of the 19th Congress, the majority bloc is composed of members who voted for Escudero for Senate president.

Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas
On May 8, 2024, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) and Lakas–CMD signed an alliance agreement at the Manila Polo Club in Makati to form the Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas (Alliance for the New Philippines) for the 2025 general elections. House Speaker Martin Romualdez remarked that the formation of the alliance created the "most powerful political force in our country today", noting the positioning of the PFP as the de facto ruling party in the country and Lakas' status as the largest political party in the House of Representatives.

Romualdez also implied that the coalition plans to include "all major parties", including the Nacionalista Party, which began negotiations with the alliance on July 2. President Marcos remarked that the alliance aims to be based "not on political expediency but on ideology" that focuses on unity and a new Philippines. Two parties would sign alliance agreements with the coalition: the Nationalist People's Coalition on May 19, and the National Unity Party on June 29.

On May 10, former Senator Manny Pacquiao announced his senatorial candidacy as a member of the alliance while remaining a member of PROMDI. Reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos, the sister of president and PFP chairman Marcos, noted that she was unsure of her inclusion in the coalition, though the entry of the Nacionalista Party in the alliance would ensure her inclusion in its ticket.

Liberal Party
At a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) on February 22, 2024, Liberal Party spokesperson and former Senator Leila de Lima announced that the party plans to field former senators Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan, as well as human rights lawyer Chel Diokno of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP), as its senatorial candidates in the upcoming election. Aquino confirmed his bid for the Senate on May 14 after being appointed as the chairman of KANP. While former vice president and 2022 presidential candidate Leni Robredo was floated as a possible candidate, Robredo ruled out a bid for the Senate and instead announced a run for the mayoralty of Naga, Camarines Sur, though the party remained keen in drafting Robredo for its Senate ticket.

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes, who ran under TRoPa in the 2022 Senate election, proposed that the Liberal Party and its allies "set aside sensitivities for a larger cause" and align with the Marcos administration in the Senate race to ensure "obliteration of the Duterte forces". Party President Edcel Lagman was also open to such arrangement. Political pundits suggest that such a coalition would provide the opposition with more resources during the campaign but may alienate "many groups in the opposition camp who are ideologically opposed to any alliance with other political groups". De Lima disapproved of Trillanes' proposal, emphasizing the need to adhere to the party's principles as a political opposition and identity as "the alternative to the Marcos bloc and the Duterte bloc". Senator Risa Hontiveros concurred with de Lima, stating that while she respects Trillanes' proposition, such an alliance would not form a "genuine opposition".

Makabayan
In an interview during commemorations for the 42nd anniversary of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) on June 26, 2024, term-limited Representative France Castro announced her bid for the Senate in response to open letters from teachers encouraging her to seek a seat in the chamber in 2025. Castro added that the Makabayan coalition plans to form a 12-member senate slate for the 2025 elections branded as the "Oposisyon ng Bayan" (Opposition of the Nation) with the aim to form an "alternative slate" to the ruling government. The coalition aims to field candidates from marginalized sectors and vowed not to field candidates from political dynasties or influential families. Castro and Representative Arlene Brosas also stated that they were open to form alliances with "true opposition" groups and have entered negotiations with other opposition groups such as the Liberal Party. Brosas later announced her senate bid on July 16.

Partido Demokratiko Pilipino
At the party's national council held on April 19, 2024, at the Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu City, former President Rodrigo Duterte endorsed the reelection bids of incumbent Senators Ronald dela Rosa, Bong Go, and Francis Tolentino as well as the bid of actor Phillip Salvador as part of the party's slate for the election. On June 26, Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed the elder Duterte's bid for the Senate, along with that of her brothers Paolo Duterte, the incumbent representative for Davao City's 1st district, and Sebastian Duterte, the incumbent mayor of Davao City.

In response to the possibility of an alliance between the ruling Marcos administration and the Liberal Party, dela Rosa affirmed that the Dutertes would lead the opposition in such case.

Declared candidates
The following have declared their intent to run in the election:


 * Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas
 * Lito Lapid (NPC), incumbent senator
 * Imee Marcos (Nacionalista), incumbent senator
 * Manny Pacquiao (PROMDI), former senator and candidate for president in 2022
 * Ariel Querubin (Nacionalista), retired military officer and candidate for senator in 2010
 * Bong Revilla (Lakas–CMD), incumbent senator


 * Liberal Party
 * Kiko Pangilinan, former senator and candidate for vice president in 2022
 * Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KANP)
 * Bam Aquino, former senator
 * Chel Diokno, chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group and senatorial candidate in 2019 and 2022


 * Oposisyon ng Bayan
 * Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women's Party), Member of the Philippine House of Representatives
 * France Castro (ACT Teachers), Member of the Philippine House of Representatives


 * Partido Demokratiko Pilipino
 * Ronald dela Rosa, incumbent senator
 * Paolo Duterte (HNP), incumbent representative of Davao City's 1st district
 * Rodrigo Duterte, 16th president of the Philippines
 * Sebastian Duterte (HNP), incumbent mayor of Davao City
 * Bong Go, incumbent senator
 * Phillip Salvador, actor
 * Francis Tolentino, incumbent senator


 * Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM)
 * Luke Espiritu, former senatorial candidate in 2022 and president of Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino

Other incumbents eligible for reelection
Media outlets such as The Manila Times anticipate the following to seek reelection:


 * Pia Cayetano (Nacionalista)

Others

 * Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas
 * Benjamin Abalos Jr. (PFP), incumbent secretary of the interior and local government
 * Abby Binay (NPC), incumbent mayor of Makati
 * Richard Gomez (PFP), incumbent representative of Leyte's 4th district
 * Yedda Marie Romualdez (Lakas–CMD), incumbent representative of Tingog Party List
 * Tito Sotto (NPC), former senate president of the Philippines and candidate for vice president in 2022
 * Camille Villar (Nacionalista), incumbent representative of Las Piñas's at-large district


 * Independents
 * Ping Lacson (Independent), former senator and candidate for president in 2022


 * Other political parties
 * Gringo Honasan (Reform PH), former senator
 * Isko Moreno (Aksyon), former mayor of Manila and candidate for president in 2022
 * Willie Ong (Aksyon), cardiologist and media personality and candidate for vice president in 2022
 * Rufus Rodriguez (CDP), incumbent representative of Cagayan de Oro's 2nd district
 * Gilbert Teodoro (PRP), incumbent secretary of national defense
 * Erwin Tulfo (ACT-CIS), incumbent representative of ACT-CIS Partylist

Declined

 * Leila De Lima (Liberal), former senator
 * Leni Robredo (Liberal), former vice president (running for mayor of Naga, Camarines Sur)
 * Willie Revillame (Independent), television personality
 * Martin Romualdez (Lakas–CMD), speaker of the House of Representatives (running for representative for 1st district of Leyte)
 * Antonio Trillanes (Aksyon), former senator (running for mayor of Caloocan)

Opinion polling
Opinion polling in the Philippines is conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS), Pulse Asia, OCTA Research, and other pollsters.

Per candidate
This list includes all individuals named by at least 10% of respondents in any of the surveys conducted after the campaign officially began. The top 16 candidates with the highest favorability in each poll are listed below, where the top 12 are marked with a "black line". For a comprehensive list of all individuals included in the surveys, see the main article.

Per party

 * Parties (excluding independents) with the plurality of seats in boldface.
 * Parties (excluding independents) with the majority of seats are shaded by the party color.

Seats won

 * Totals may not add up to 12 due to margin of error.

Seats after the election

 * Totals may not add up to 24 due to margin of error.