How did Bong Go top the senatorial race in Eleksyon 2025?

Re-electionist Senator Christopher “Bong” Go remained the frontrunner in the partial and unofficial results of the senatorial race in this year’s midterm elections. But how did he manage to secure over 26 million votes?

According to Joseph Morong’s report in “24 Oras” on Thursday, data gathered by GMA News Research showed that nearly half of the 26.9 million votes he got based on the 97% transmitted election returns, came from Mindanao, Eastern Visayas, and the National Capital Region.

Of the total votes he garnered, nine million of which were from Mindanao and more than five million were from the Visayas. 

Further, Go topped in 44 out of 88 provinces in the Philippines including Batanes, Nueva Vizcaya, several areas in the Cordillera Administrative Region, and even Leyte, which is a bailiwick of the ruling Marcos family and the Romualdez clan. 

A political analyst suggested that the votes that Go earned are also support to his boss, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

“Yung Duterte surge can be attributed to Bong Go being number one and also nakapagtanim na din naman sya in the sense na yung Malasakit Center have been closely identified with Bong Go,” said Jean Franco of the University of the Philippines Department of Political Science.

(The Duterte surge can be attributed to Bong Go being number one and he also banked on the Malasakit Center which was identified with him.) 

SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta also pulled a surprise after ranking sixth despite not placing high in surveys. 

Just like with Go, Franco attributed Marcoleta’s success to the backing he got from the Dutertes. 

“Ang sinasabi nila kasi ay Iglesia [ni Cristo], pero 2.8 million lang ang populasyon ng Iglesia so kahit mag-bloc voting pa sila, kataka-taka na ganoon karami yung nakuha nya. At tsaka dun sa 2.8, hindi lahat dun registered voters,” she said, adding that Marcoleta’s participation in House QuadCom hearings could have also boosted his chances. 

(They always attribute it to the Iglesia ni Cristo, but it only has a population of 2.8 million. So it’s still not enough even if they do bloc voting, that would not be enough. Not all of the 2.8 million members are actually registered voters.) 

Hence, the Tarlac-born Marcoleta also secured over five million votes in Mindanao. He also got nearly seven million votes in Luzon and 2.5 million votes in the Visayas. 

Meanwhile, another political analyst suggested that the results of the senatorial polls reflected the public’s opinion on the issues happening in the country right now. 

“Like for example, if we’re talking about the cases of Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, tingin ko po sila ‘yung nagsilbing alternative candidate ng mga botante na sawang-sawa na sa bangayan ng dalawang political camps - ‘Yung administration versus Duterte camp,” said Dennis Coronacion, chairperson of the University of Santo Tomas Department of Political Science. 

(Like for example, if we’re talking about the cases of Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, I think they served as alternative candidates for voters who were fed up with the conflict between the two political camps - the administration versus the Duterte camp.) 

Bam Aquino, who is at second spot, topped the senatorial race in 21 provinces with 14 million of his votes came from Luzon and nearly four million were from the Visayas. Meanwhile, he got over two million votes in Mindanao. 

“Bam Aquino packaged himself as really the one who authored libreng college tuition, that would have moved some young voters and even the parents to select him. Secondly, the Aquino family name,” said Franco. 

On the other hand, fifth placer Kiko Pangilinan got 1.6 million votes in Mindanao after wooing voters in the island during the last stretch of the campaign and even got endorsements from several Mindanaoan leaders.

Pangilinan got the majority of his votes from Luzon including vote-rich regions such as the Southern Tagalog, National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Bicol. 

Marcos admin bets 

Meanwhile, six of the administration’s bets have made it to the Top 12. 

“So mukhang malilimitahan lang sila sa lima o anim. Pagdating naman sa oposisyon, ang lumabas, may dalawang klaseng oposisyon no?” said Coronacion. 

(So it looks like they will be limited to five or six. As for the opposition, it turns out that there are two types of opposition, right?) 

Toby Tiangco, who served as the campaign manager of Alyansa, said that their slate’s push for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte has affected their chances. 

“As soon as na-file yung impeachment, which I will make it clear, hindi ako pabor, hindi ako pumirma, nagso-solidify yung Mindanao, ayun ay self-inflicted ‘yun,” he said. 

(As soon as the impeachment was filed, which I will make it clear, I was not in favor of and I did not even sign to it, that solidified the Mindanao and it was self-inflicted.) —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News

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