Philippines: Bong Go, Bam Aquino lead partial Senate race; Kiko Pangilinan makes surprise comeback

Manila: Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, long-time aide to former President Rodrigo Duterte, has taken the top spot in the partial and unofficial senatorial tally, based on transparency server data.

In a surprise twist, former Senator Bam Aquino surged into second place — marking a strong return for the Liberal Party (LP) stalwart.

Sharp divisions

The rest of the so-called “Magic 12” is dominated by candidates aligned with either President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or Vice President Sara Duterte, underscoring the high-stakes nature of this year’s sharply divided midterm polls.

One of the unexpected names to crack the top 12 is former Senator Kiko Pangilinan, signalling a potential political comeback.

Magic 12 as of 11.11 pm

Following as the preliminary number of votes garnered by the top 12 candidates, based on preliminary numbers released by News5:

As of 11:24 pm Manila time (7.24pm), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has received 76.11% of election returns or 54,524,381 out of 69,773,653 registered voters.

Rift

The 2025 midterm elections have been marked by deep political rifts, especially following the fracture between President Marcos and Vice President Duterte.

The outcome is more than symbolic — the 12 elected senators will serve as judges in Duterte’s upcoming Senate impeachment trial, scheduled for June.

Magic 12 (as of 8.50pm Manila time, May 12, 2025)

Here are the top 12 candidates so far, based on preliminary numbers from News5 as of 8:50 pm (4.50pm in the UAE):