Eleksyon 2025: Fewer celebrity politicians win posts compared to 2022

Filipino voters seem to have gone slightly lukewarm toward celebrity candidates in the recently concluded 2025 midterm elections.

According to data compiled by GMA Integrated News Research, at least 130 candidates have backgrounds in showbiz, media, sports, or social media content.

Based on partial and unofficial results as of 6 p.m. on May 13, at least 56 candidates have won or are winning and 60 have lost or are poised to lose their respective races. Meanwhile, 14 celebrities who are nominees of party-lists are still waiting for the official number of seats clinched by their organizations.

Excluding the party-list nominees, the percentage of winning candidates is lower compared to the 2022 polls. Three years ago, 57 celebrity candidates won and 46 lost. That’s 55.34%, compared to this year’s 48.28%.

Among senatorial candidates, 15 have ties to the entertainment, media, sports, or content creation industries. Six of them are in the magic 12, with three obvious names: Erwin Tulfo is known as a public service broadcaster, Tito Sotto is a television host and former Senate President, and the re-electionist Lito Lapid is an action star.

Aside from previously serving as a senator for one term from 2013 to 2019, Bam Aquino is a former television host. Kiko Pangilinan also had a television and radio show before and Camille Villar previously hosted a television show.

All six, however, previously held government positions. Four of them are former senators (Aquino, Pangilinan, Sotto, and Lapid) and two currently hold seats in the House of Representatives (Tulfo and Villar).

The other nine are the following:

Jimmy Bondoc (musician, lawyer, and former PAGCOR director)

Bong Revilla (action star, former senator, and former Cavite governor)

Marc Gamboa (content creator)

Doc Marites Mata (content creator and doctor)

Manny Pacquiao (boxer, former senator, and former congressman)

Apollo Quiboloy (televangelist)

Willie Revillame (television host)

Philip Salvador (action star)

Ben Tulfo (public service broadcaster)

Of these candidates, only two are former senators (Pacquiao and Revilla) and another one previously held a government position (Bondoc). All three rank within the top 20 in the senatorial race. 

Of the remaining six who have no government experience, only Salvador (19) made it to the top 20.

It’s clear that at least for the Senate, Filipino voters chose candidates with law-making experience. Nine of the candidates in the magic 12 are former senators and three currently hold seats in the House of Representatives: Tulfo and Villar, as previously mentioned, and Rodante Marcoleta.

For local positions, here is the breakdown of how celebrity candidates performed:

District representative - 10 winning/won, 8 losing/lost

Governor - 3 winning/won, 1 losing/lost

Vice Governor - 2 winning/won, 3 losing/lost

Board Member - 2 winning/won, 2 losing/lost

Mayor - 7 winning/won, 9 losing/lost

Vice Mayor - 4 winning/won, 6 losing/lost

Councilor - 22 winning/won, 22 losing/lost

Some candidates have already been proclaimed winners, while others are still waiting for the official canvassing results.—Marisse Panaligan/LDF, GMA Integrated News

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