Elections to the Senate of the Philippines are done via plurality-at-large voting; a voter can vote for up to twelve candidates, with the twelve candidates with the highest number of votes being elected. The 24-member Senate uses staggered elections, with only one-half of its members up for election at any given time, except for special elections, which are always held concurrently with regularly scheduled elections. [1]
With the advent of the nominal multi-party system In 1987, political parties have not been able to muster enough candidates to fill their 12-person slate. This means they have to join coalitions or alliances in order to present a full slate. If a slate is still not complete, "guest candidates" may be invited, even from rival slates. A guest candidate may not be compelled to join the campaign rallies of the slate that invited him/her. A party may even not include their entire ticket to a coalition slate, or assign their candidates to competing slates. A candidate may defect from one slate to another or be unaffiliated with any slate while the campaign is ongoing. The Commission on Elections uses the names of the political parties on the ballot.
Once elected, the parties involved in the different slates may form alliances with one another totally different from the alliances prior to the election.
In Third Republic elections under the nominal two-party system, the Liberal Party and the Nacionalista Party often presented complete 8-person tickets; a party may even exceed the 8-person slate due to perceived popularity. The first instance of having guest candidates was in 1955, when the opposition Liberals adopted Claro M. Recto of the Nacionalista Party, who had also opposed the presidency of Ramon Magsaysay. Parties having guest candidates was seen as a weakness of finding candidates within their ranks. [2]
From 1916 to 1934, the country was divided into 12 senatorial districts. Eleven of these districts elected two senators each. In 1916, each district elected two senators (plurality-at-large): one was to serve a six-year term, the other a three-year term. On each election thereafter, one seat per district was up (first past the post). The senators from the 12th district were appointed by the American governor-general for no fixed term. [3]
In 1935, the electorate approved in a plebiscite a new constitution that abolished the Senate and instituted a unicameral National Assembly of the Philippines. The members of the Constitutional Convention originally wanted bicameralism but could not agree on how the senators shall be elected: via the senatorial districts or being nationally elected. [4]
The electorate in 1940 approved in a plebiscite amendments to the constitution that restored the bicameral Congress of the Philippines, including the Senate. Elections for the Senate were held on every second Monday of November of every odd-numbered year; however, the old senatorial districts were not used anymore; instead, the 24-member Senate was to be elected on a nationwide at-large basis. [4] As the first election in the new setup, the voters in the 1941 election voted for 24 senators. However, they were also given the option of writing the party's name on the ballot, wherein all of the candidates of the party would receive votes. With the 24 candidates with the most votes winning in the election, the ruling Nacionalista Party won all 24 seats in a landslide victory. The winners included Rafael Martinez, who replaced Norberto Romualdez, who died the day before the election; Martinez won because of voters who had selected the party, rather than specifying a particular candidate. [5]
Due to World War II, Congress was not able to convene until June 1945. President Sergio Osmeña called for special sessions to convene the 1st Congress of the Commonwealth of the Philippines until elections could be organized. Originally, to observe the staggered terms, the eight candidates with the most votes were to serve for eight years, the next eight for four years, and still the next eight for two years. However, several members had died and others were disqualified because they were charged with collaboration with the Japanese, so the Senate conducted a lottery to determine which senators would serve until 1946 and which would serve until 1947. [6] In the 1946 election, voters elected 16 senators; the first eight candidates with the highest number of votes were to serve until 1951, the next eight were to serve until 1949. [3]
Electoral reform enacted in 1951 eliminated block voting, which had given voters the option of writing the party's name on the ballot. In a 1951 election, voters voted for eight senators for the first time and each voter had to write at most eight names for senator (writing the party's name would result in a spoiled vote). Noting that after the elimination of block voting, many people voted for a split ticket, political scientist David Wurfel has remarked that "The electoral reform of 1951 was thus one of the most important institutional changes in the postwar Philippines, making the life of the opposition easier." [5]
On September 23, 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law and assumed legislative powers. In a 1973 plebiscite, the electorate approved a new constitution that abolished Congress and replaced it with a unicameral National Assembly, which would ultimately be the Batasang Pambansa (parliament). [3]
Marcos was overthrown as a result of the 1986 People Power Revolution. The new president, Corazon Aquino, appointed a Constitutional Commission to write a new constitution. The electorate approved the constitution in 1987, restoring the bicameral Congress. Instead of electing 8 senators every two years, the new constitution provided that 12 senators would be elected every three years. As part of the transitory provisions, the voters elected 24 senators in the 1987 election, to serve until 1992. In the 1992 election, the voters still voted for 24 candidates, but the first 12 candidates with the most votes were to serve until 1998, while the next 12 were to serve only until 1995. Thereafter, 12 candidates are elected every second Monday of May every third year since 1995. [7]
| Elections | Elected | Seats per district | Districts | Total seats | Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 22 | 2 | 11 | 24 | |
| 1919 | 11 | 1 | 11 | 24 | |
| 1922 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 24 | |
| 1925 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 24 | |
| 1928 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 24 | |
| 1931 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 24 | |
| 1934 | 11 | 1 | 12 | 24 | |
| Senate abolished from 1935 to 1941. Senators elected in 1941 will not serve until 1945. | |||||
| 1941 | 24 [a] | 24 | 1 | 24 | 103 |
| 1946 | 16 [b] | 16 | 1 | 24 | 57 |
| 1947 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 24 |
| 1949 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 26 |
| 1951 | 8+1 special [c] | 9 | 1 | 24 | 20+4 |
| 1953 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 20 |
| 1955 | 8+1 special [d] | 9 | 1 | 24 | 21+3 |
| 1957 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 54 |
| 1959 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 32 |
| 1961 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 22 |
| 1963 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 19 |
| 1965 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 30 |
| 1967 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 29 |
| 1969 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 29 |
| 1971 | 8 | 8 | 1 | 24 | 16 |
| Senate abolished from 1972 to 1987. | |||||
| 1987 | 24 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 91 |
| 1992 | 24 [e] | 24 | 1 | 24 | 164 |
| 1995 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 30 |
| 1998 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 40 |
| 2001 | 12+1 special [f] | 13 | 1 | 24 | 37 |
| 2004 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 48 |
| 2007 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 37 |
| 2010 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 61 |
| 2013 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 33 |
| 2016 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 50 |
| 2019 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 62 |
| 2022 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 64 |
| 2025 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 24 | 66 |
| Election | Nacionalista | Progresista | Democrata | Collectivista | Pro- Independencia | Consolidato | Independents | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 24 | ||||
| 1919 | 21 | 1 | 2 | 24 | ||||
| 1922 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 24 | |||
| 1925 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 24 | ||
| 1928 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 24 | ||||
| 1931 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 12 | ||||
| 1934 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 24 |
In this table, the "administration" ticket is the ticket supported by the sitting president.
In 1992, Corazon Aquino who was nominally supporting the LDP, supported the presidential candidacy of Fidel V. Ramos of Lakas, making the "administration ticket" ambiguous.
In 2021, ruling party PDP–Laban nominated Senator Bong Go for president, and President Rodrigo Duterte for vice president. Later on, Senator Ronald dela Rosa filed his candidacy to run for president under PDP–Laban, while Go as his vice president. There were suggestions that Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the president's daughter, substitute for dela Rosa. Instead, dela Rosa withdrew his presidential candidacy, Go then withdrew his vice presidential bid to avoid complications with Sara's vice presidential candidacy under Lakas–CMD, then Go became the presidential nominee of Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan, with President Duterte filing to run for senator, then endorsing his daughter for vice president. In the end, both Go and President Duterte withdrew, and several figures in the Duterte administration were either senatorial candidates of the PDP–Laban backed Tuloy ang Pagbabago slate, or Mayor Duterte's UniTeam Alliance, making the "administration ticket" ambiguous.
| Election [9] | Administration ticket | Primary opposition ticket | Others | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seats won | Vote % | Seats won | Vote % | Seats won | Vote % | |
| 1941 | 24 Nacionalistas | |||||
| 1946 | 7 Nacionalistas | 40.81 | 8 Nacionalistas (Liberal wing) | 47.26% | 1 Popular Front | 6.56% |
| 1947 | 6 Liberals | 54.72 | 2 Nacionalistas | 45.04 | ||
| 1949 | 8 Liberals | 52.52 | 0 Nacionalistas | 36.57 | ||
| 1951 | 0 Liberals | 38.19 | 9 Nacionalistas | 58.20 | ||
| 1953 | 0 Liberals | 35.97 | 5 Nacionalistas | 39.83 | 2 Democrats 1 Citizens' | 15.40 8.75 |
| 1955 | 9 Nacionalistas | 67.18 | 0 Liberals | 32.71 | ||
| 1957 | 6 Nacionalistas | 47.28 | 2 Liberals | 31.70 | ||
| 1959 | 5 Nacionalistas | 45.04 | 2 Liberals | 28.92 | 1 NCP | 5.92 |
| 1961 | 2 Nacionalistas | 45.07 | 4 Liberals | 37.88 | 2 Progressives | 16.62 |
| 1963 | 4 Liberals | 49.76 | 4 Nacionalistas | 50.17 | ||
| 1965 | 2 Liberals | 46.92 | 5 Nacionalistas | 43.82 | 1 NCP | 6.11 |
| 1967 | 6 Nacionalistas | 55.75 | 1 Liberal | 37.04 | 1 Independent Nacionalista | 7.10 |
| 1969 | 6 Nacionalistas | 58.58 | 2 Liberals | 41.35 | ||
| 1971 | 2 Nacionalistas | 42.58 | 6 Liberals | 57.42 | ||
| 1987 | 22 LABAN | 64.89 | 2 GAD | 26.16 | ||
| 1992 | 16 LDP | 44.95 | 5 NPC | 18.07 | 2 Lakas 1 Liberal/PDP-Laban | 17.67 6.92 |
| 1995 | 9 Lakas-Laban | 67.71 | 3 NPC | 30.67 | ||
| 1998 | 5 Lakas | 45.44 | 7 LAMMP | 44.54 | ||
| 2001 | 8 PPC | 50.81 | 4 Puwersa ng Masa | 39.12 | 1 Independent | 9.18 |
| 2004 | 7 K-4 | 52.24 | 5 KNP | 37.74 | ||
| 2007 | 2 Team Unity | 36.76 | 8 GO | 50.87 | 1 Liberal 1 independent | 5.40 5.33 |
| 2010 | 2 Lakas-Kampi | 12.83 | 4 Aquino–Roxas slate | 32.72 | 3 Villar–Legarda slate 2 Estrada–Binay slate 1 NPC | 27.18 17.49 4.00 |
| 2013 | 9 Team PNoy | 59.60 | 3 UNA | 30.84 | ||
| 2016 | 7 KDM | 43.81 | 4 PGP | 30.83 | 1 UNA | 7.68 |
| 2019 | 9 HNP | 56.23 | 0 Otso Diretso | 13.82 | 1 NPC 1 UNA 1 independent | 4.68 4.13 9.61 |
| 2022 | 1 TAP | 9.84 | 1 TRoPa | 12.44 | 4 UniTeam 3 Lacson–Sotto slate 3 Independents | 27.95 19.12 19.03 |
| Election | Won reelection | Lost reelection | Retired or vacant | Term limited | Neophytes | Previously served | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | — | — | — | — | 17 | 7 | 24 | 24 | 0 |
| 1946 | 4 | 1 | 11 | — | 11 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 0 |
| 1947 | 2 | 1 | 5 | — | 5 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1949 | 2 | 4 | 2 | — | 6 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1951 | 1 | 1 | 7 | — | 7 | 1 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| 1953 | 2 | 5 | 3 | — | 3 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1955 | 3 | 2 | 4 | — | 6 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 1 |
| 1957 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | 5 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1959 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | 4 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1961 | 2 | 5 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1963 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | 5 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1965 | 3 | 1 | 4 | — | 5 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1967 | 1 | 3 | 4 | — | 6 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 2 |
| 1969 | 5 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| 1971 | 4 | 1 | 3 | — | 4 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 1 |
| 1987 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 5 | 24 | 22 | 2 |
| 1992 | 14 | 3 | 7 | — | 8 | 1 | 24 | 20 | 4 |
| 1995 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| 1998 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 2001 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 13 | 12 | 1 |
| 2004 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| 2007 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| 2010 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| 2016 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 2019 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 5 |
| 2022 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 2 |
| 2025 | 1 | 4 |
Since the at-large era, a high-scoring winner can be seen as a strong contender for a future presidential or vice-presidential bid. [1]
These are at the start of each Congress. A senator may change parties or leave office mid-term.
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The Senate of the Philippines is the upper house of Congress, the bicameral legislature of the Philippines, with the House of Representatives as the lower house. The Senate is composed of 24 senators who are elected at-large under a plurality-at-large voting system.
The Liberal Party of the Philippines abbreviated as the LP, is a liberal political party in the Philippines.
Elections in the Philippines are of several types. The president, vice-president, and the senators are elected for a six-year term, while the members of the House of Representatives, governors, vice-governors, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, mayors, vice-mayors, members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod/members of the Sangguniang Bayan, barangay officials, and the members of the Sangguniang Kabataan are elected to serve for a three-year term.
The 1992 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 24th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1992. This was the first general election under the 1987 Philippine Constitution. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts, from the presidency all the way down to municipal councilors.
The People's Reform Party is a political party in the Philippines. Founded on April 12, 1991, as the political party of former Agrarian Reform Secretary Miriam Defensor Santiago for her bid as president in the 1992 Presidential Elections. During the 1992 Elections, the party nominated Santiago as president and Ramon "Jun" Magsaysay, Jr. as vice president, however both Santiago and Magsaysay lost the elections to former Defense Secretary Fidel Ramos and then-Senator Joseph Estrada, respectively. The Force of Reform Philippines (FORPH) serves as the official youth-wing of the People's Reform Party. While under the same Miriam Defensor Santiago wing, the Youth Reform Movement is not related to the PRP.
Split-ticket voting or ticket splitting is when a voter in an election votes for candidates from different political parties when multiple offices are being decided by a single election, as opposed to straight-ticket voting, where a voter chooses candidates from the same political party for every office up for election. Split-ticket voting can occur in certain mixed-member systems which allow for it, such as mixed-member proportional and parallel voting systems.
This list of presidential elections in the Philippines includes election results of both presidential and vice presidential elections since 1899 with the candidates' political party and their corresponding percentage.
The 1987 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 23rd election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1987. The Philippine Senate was re-instituted following the approval of a new constitution in 1987 restoring the bicameral Congress of the Philippines; earlier, a constitution was approved in 1973 that created a unicameral Batasang Pambansa (parliament) that replaced the bicameral Congress. The last Senate election prior to this was the 1971 election.
A senatorial election was held on November 8, 1971 in the Philippines. The opposition Liberal Party won five seats in the Philippine Senate while three seats were won by the Nacionalista Party, the administration party; this was seen as a consequence of the Plaza Miranda bombing on August 21, 1971, which wounded all of the Liberal Party's candidates and almost took the lives of John Henry Osmeña and Jovito Salonga. Their terms as senators were cut short as a result of the declaration of martial law by President Ferdinand Marcos on September 23, 1972.
A senatorial election in the Philippines was held on November 8, 1955. This was a midterm election, the date when the winners took office falling halfway through President Ramon Magsaysay's four-year term.
The Nacionalista Party is a political party in the Philippines and the oldest in the country and in Southeast Asia. It is responsible for leading the country throughout most of the 20th century since its founding in 1907; it was the ruling party from 1935 to 1946, 1953–1961 and 1965–1978.
The 2010 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 30th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 10, 2010, to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. The winners in this election joined the winners of the 2007 election to form the 15th Congress of the Philippines. The senators elected in 2007 will serve until June 30, 2013, while the senators elected in this election will serve up to June 30, 2016. The 2010 presidential election, elections to the House of Representatives as well as local elections occurred on the same date. The Philippines uses plurality-at-large voting for seats in the Senate: the twelve candidates with the highest number of votes wins the twelve seats up for election.
Presidential and vice presidential elections, legislative elections and local elections were held in the Philippines on May 11, 1992. An estimated 80,000 candidates ran for 17,000 posts from the presidency down to municipal councillors in the first general election under the 1987 Constitution. Even though she was permitted by the Constitution to run for a second term, President Corazon Aquino did not stand for re-election.
The 2013 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 31st election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 13, 2013, to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. The winners in this election joined the winners of the 2010 election to form the 16th Congress of the Philippines. The senators elected in 2010 will serve until June 30, 2016, while the senators elected in this election will serve up to June 30, 2019. The elections to the House of Representatives as well as local elections occurred on the same date. The Philippines use plurality-at-large voting for seats in the Senate: the twelve candidates with the highest number of votes win the twelve seats up for election. The Senate seat vacated by President Benigno Aquino III in 2010 was among the twelve seats to be put for election.
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino is a political party in the Philippines founded by Ramon Mitra Jr. and Peping Cojuangco. LDP was more commonly referred to as Laban during its early years.
The 2016 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 32nd election of members to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 9, 2016, The seats of 12 senators elected in 2010 were filled during this election. The winners in this election joined the winners of the 2013 election to form the 17th Congress of the Philippines. The senators elected in 2013 served until June 30, 2019, while the senators elected in this election would serve up to June 30, 2022.
The 2016 Philippine House of Representatives elections were the 34th lower house elections in the Philippines. They were held on May 9, 2016, to elect members to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The winning candidates were to comprise the House's contingent in the 17th Congress of the Philippines that would serve from June 30, 2016, to June 30, 2019.
The 2019 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 33rd election of members to the Senate of the Philippines for a six-year term. It was held on May 13, 2019.
The 2022 Philippine Senate election was the 34th election of members to the Senate of the Philippines for a six-year term. It was held on May 9, 2022.
These are the people who, at one time or another, had been considered, announced, declined or withdrew his or her candidacy in the 2019 Philippine Senate election.
| General elections | |
|---|---|
| Presidential elections | |
| Senate elections | |
| House elections | |
| Constitutional conventions | |
| Local elections | |
| Barangay elections | |
| Referendums | |
