Winners proclaimed

MANILA Five days after the polls, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has officially proclaimed the next set of senators, most of whom are incumbent or returning lawmakers.

- Dominique Nicole Flores, Philstar.com

In a formal ceremony at The Manila Hotel on May 17, the poll body announced the 12 newlyelected senators, led by Sen. Bong Go who garnered 27.12 million votes.

Go topped the race with a lead of around 7 million votes, securing a second consecutive term as one of five incumbent senators who made it into the "Magic 12."

Once clinging to the edge of the top 12 in pre-election surveys, former Sen. Bam Aquino pulled off an upset, staging a surprise comeback to claim the second spot with 20.97 million votes.

Running as an independent while closely working with national and local Liberal Party leaders, Aquino stunned the public with his strong showing. He is now one of four former senators returning to the Senate.

Aquino had previously served as campaign manager for former Vice President Leni Robredo during her 2022 presidential bid.

Robredo's running mate at that time also became Aquino's duo in the 2025 senatorial race.

Former Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, who completes the "Kiko-Bam" campaign, also defied expectations, finishing fifth with 15.34 million votes. In pre-election surveys, Pangilinan lagged behind Aquino, ranking around 15th, which was well outside the cutoff.

Placing third in the senatorial race was Sen. Bato dela Rosa, who garnered 20.77 million votes. He was just about 200,000 short of overtaking Aquino.