The power of voting: an #Eleksyon2025 postmortem

By: Solana

Cartoon by: Han

On May 12, the Philippines held its midterm elections for 12 senators, 317 district representatives and party-list representatives, 82 governors and vice governors, 800 provincial board members, 1,642 city and municipal mayors and vice mayors, and 13,638 city and municipal council members. This year, the country generated an 81.64% voter turnout translating to 55,874,700 Filipinos casting their ballots out of the 68,431,965 registered voters–the highest for any midterm election.

As per The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) data, the demographics for this year’s elections are as follows: 34% are Generation Y or Millennials (30 – 44 years old), 27% are Generation Z (18–21 years old), 23% are Generation X (45–59 years old), and 17% are from the Silent Generation or Baby Boomers.

The National Board of Canvassers was also able to canvass the votes within three days–the fastest in the country’s history of elections as noted by the Commission on Elections.

With a high voter turnout, a boom in youth engagement, and the rise of non-traditional candidates; this year’s midterm polls have become a pivotal event in the country's political history.

Throughout the polls since the campaign season began, Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aguirre Aquino IV and Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan would barely make it to the ‘Magic 12,’ but in a turn of events, the former senators broke through the rankings, placing second and fifth, respectively, throughout the whole count. In the last report before the May 12 elections, Erwin Tulfo even ranked first pick for all senators in surveys by OctaResearch, and Social Weather Station (SWS), but in the overall outcome, he placed only fourth.

Based on the said survey polls, Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan were projected to place within the 11th to 16th range.

So, what changed? Could it be that the divide between the Marcoses and Dutertes swayed votes to avoid the impeachment of Sara Duterte or vice versa? Mind conditioning? Campaign tactics? Millions of new Generation Z voters are coming into play? Endorsements? Or was it merely that the surveys did not account for the appropriate percentages representing each voting group?

According to the data gathered by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism from the election results, Bam Aquino was the top choice for most parts of the National Capital Region, Central, and Southern Luzon, including Eastern Samar and Negros Occidental in the Visayas region. Meanwhile, Bong Go raked in the votes from nearly the entire Mindanao region.

In the party-list aspect, surveys also did not project for the Diokno-led Akbayan partylist to soar as the top-voted party-list in this year’s polls. At best, Akbayan was projected to rank within the 16th spot by SWS. OctaResearch and PulseAsia put Akbayan within the 21st and 22nd ranks. Moreover, de Lima-led Mamamayang Liberal (ML) partylist whose seat projection was one to none, has successfully secured one seat.

The message is clear: surveys do not win elections, voting does.

It can be said that this year’s midterm elections pre-determine the future of our government in 2028.

In the senatorial elections, the administration-backed Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas slate won six (Tulfo, Lacson, Sotto, Cayetano, Villar, and Lapid) of its endorsed candidates, while DuterTen slate won with five (Go, dela Rosa, Marcoleta, Imee Marcos, and Villar). It is unclear how Villar was endorsed by both opposing slates and remained unscathed. This result leaves Sara Duterte’s impeachment a tough case.

Should President Marcos Jr. want to retain his influence and power in both Congress and especially the Senate in the remaining years of his term, he will need to extend his hand to gain allies in the unwaged war with Sara Duterte.

Marcos Jr. will also need to find ways to soften inflation costs and draw in people with good economic approaches to better establish the legacy of his term–like his father which made Marcos Sr. beloved to those who lived during the late president’s reign of terror. This is also similar to Duterte’s picture as a ‘strongman’ who puts people at ease against criminal activity.

If Sara is impeached by the Senate, she will no longer be allowed to run for any governmental role. If she survives, Sara Duterte might go for the jugular and pursue the presidential bid.

However, Marcos-Duterte remains strong in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. In order for the true opposition–advocating for good governance–to secure its win in 2028, they need to start reaching these places now. As well as start filing bills and laws that push for better and consistent livelihood and security (which the Marcoses and Dutertes have provided for a long time). It can be done as proven by Bam Aquino’s breakthrough win in select provinces in the said regions.

The machinery of disinformation and misinformation also remains a problem as troll farms have now resorted to discrediting the likes of Aquino with his Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and Pangilinan with his Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act. While self-proclaimed ‘journalists’ become vessels to spread lies and false information, opposition will need to not just counter and fact-check but have a stronger strategy in eliminating fake news altogether. This is crucial especially in the dawn of Artificial Intelligence (AI) being more accessible and being weaponized as a tool for disinformation.

#Eleksyon2025 can be interpreted as a reflection of the country's evolving political consciousness from the 2022 elections. It gave a glimpse that Filipinos can vote out traditional politics and aim for new aspirations for their respective towns, cities, regions, and even for their motherland.

True transformation will require not just new faces, but a fundamental overhaul of the political culture that has long held back the country’s progress. Change is a gradual process. One can only hope that we arrive at a future where elections are not just mere contests for power, but genuine opportunities for leaders to push for a better future for our country—one where Filipinos feel safe and secure in all aspects of their lives.

There is still much work to be done. Filipino people must maintain the momentum of demanding a better government beyond elections which can be done through active civic engagement, a push for meaningful advocacies, and a persistent drive for institutional changes.