Hue’s who? A color-coded look at the Senate Magic 12
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� As the dust settles on the 2025 midterm elections, the political palette of the so-called 鈥淢agic 12鈥� paints a clearer picture of what the 20th Congress is set to become.
The results of this year鈥檚 senatorial race have shaken up the nation, with the official vote count revealing a list of winners that defied pre-election surveys and spanned key political factions.
At the forefront of the May 12 race were the two blocs led by President Ferdinand 鈥淏ongbong鈥� Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, once-formidable allies now turned bitter adversaries engaging in a proxy battle for political survival and control over the legislative agenda.
While the contest was largely between these two camps, another coalition鈥攚hich calls itself the 鈥攅merged with surprising gains.
The outcome of the recent polls carries far-reaching implications for the country鈥檚 political landscape 鈥� from the vice president鈥檚 looming impeachment trial in the Senate to the intensifying tug-of-war for power ahead of the 2028 elections.
好色先生TV looks at the composition of this year鈥檚 race winners and how these alliances will be tested in the upcoming 20th Congress.
In what has been considered a referendum on Marcos鈥� authority, the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas prevailed in the midterm elections, with six of its 11 candidates placing in the Top 12.
Alyansa, an electoral alliance between five political parties, ran a campaign that aimed to 鈥渞ally support鈥� for candidates who would support Marcos鈥� legislative agenda.
Erwin Tulfo, brother of incumbent Senator Raffy Tulfo, finished fourth in the race with 17,118,881 votes. He consistently topped pre-election surveys, with Social Weather Stations ranking him first in its final survey.
Former Senators Panfilo 鈥淧ing鈥� Lacson and Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III, once a tandem running against Marcos in the 2022 national elections, successfully staged their return to the upper chamber after ranking seventh and eighth, respectively.
Meanwhile, reelectionists Pia Cayetano and Lito Lapid both extended their Senate careers, finishing ninth and 11th in the final tally.
Camille Villar, daughter of outgoing senator and defeated Las Pi帽as congressional candidate Cynthia Villar, ranked 10th in the senatorial race. Officially still part of Marcos鈥� slate, Camille also received an endorsement from Duterte.
The electoral alliance saw the results of the 2025 senatorial race as a 鈥渧ote of confidence鈥� for the administration. In a statement, the president said he 鈥渆xtends his hand鈥� to all the elected senators 鈥渞egardless of party or coalition.鈥�
鈥淟et us move forward together鈥攚ith open minds and a common purpose,鈥� he said.
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With these wins, Marcos gains additional allies in a Senate where half the holdovers belong to the UniTeam alliance led by the Marcos-Duterte tandem. It鈥檚 worth noting, however, that this once-dominant faction has since crumbled following Duterte鈥檚 resignation from Marcos鈥� cabinet last year.
This also marks the weakest performance of an administration-backed coalition in the Senate race since 2007.
Number of administration-allied senators who won in the midterms since 2007
In contrast, the bloc led by the vice president, also known as the 鈥淒uter10,鈥� secured a smaller share in the 鈥淢agic 12,鈥� winning three seats.
Incumbent Senator Christopher 鈥淏ong鈥� Go, the long-time aide of currently detained former President Rodrigo Duterte, topped the polls with over 27 million votes. He performed better in this year鈥檚 race compared to the 2019 elections, where he garnered 20,465,005 votes.
Reelectionist Senator Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa, the former national police chief at the height of the Duterte administration鈥檚 deadly anti-drug war, also finished strong in the polls, placing third with 20,773,946 votes.
Rodante Marcoleta, another Duterte-allied lawmaker, snagged a surprising Senate win as he finished sixth in the race. Kicked out of five panels in the House of Representatives in September last year, the outgoing SAGIP party-list representative consistently lagged behind in pre-election surveys.
Incumbent Senator Imee Marcos, who realigned with Sara a month before the elections, took the final spot in the Top 12. Originally part of the Alyansa slate, Imee officially withdrew from his brother鈥檚 alliance on March 26 after Rodrigo, her close friend and ally, was arrested by the International Criminal Court for his alleged crimes against humanity.
In a statement, Sara with the outcome of the senatorial race, saying that while she acknowledged the results, they were 鈥渘ot what [she] had hoped for.鈥�
While only Go, Dela Rosa, and Marcoleta won Senate seats from the 鈥淒uter10鈥� lineup, it should be noted that all three finished in the upper half of the polls.
In what has been regarded as a 鈥渟tunning鈥� turn of events, former Senators Bam Aquino and Francis 鈥淜iko Pangilinan鈥� made a successful comeback to the legislature after finishing in the upper crust of the race.
Consistently ranked outside the 鈥淢agic 12鈥� in almost every pre-election survey, Aquino and Pangilinan ultimately finished second and fifth in the elections, making them the only candidates to win seats in a contest swept by Marcos and Duterte allies.
Aquino admitted that he was surprised with the election鈥檚 outcome, saying it was 鈥渞eally not what we had expected.鈥�
鈥淓ven now, I鈥檓 still not sure about that result because it鈥檚 so unbelievably high,鈥� he told his team at their headquarters in the evening of May 12.
WATCH: Bam Aquino, currently No. 2 in the Senate race, thanks his campaign team, sharing that just this morning they predicted that he could be either “No. 6 or No. 15.”
“But this is really an unprecedented result. At yan ay dahil…di lang sa akin, kundi dahil sa ating lahat,”鈥�
鈥� Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet)
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Pangilinan, too, was caught off-guard with his high placement in the race, as pre-election polling data had suggested otherwise.
鈥淚t came as a surprise. Now as we see it, we defied all the odds and delivered a big win鈥攏ot just a win, but a big win,鈥� he said in an interview with .
鈥楾HEY HAVE TO REVIEW THEIR METHODOLOGIES鈥�
Senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan says there needs to be a review of the methodology of firms conducting pre-election surveys. He currently ranks 5th in the senatorial race despite placing outside the Magic 12 in some pre-election surveys.
鈥� Neil Arwin Mercado (@NAMercadoINQ)
With their respective victories, Aquino and Pangilinan join incumbent Senator Risa Hontiveros as the liberal opposition bloc in the Senate.
鈥淭his is This election only proves that the Filipino masses still long for a government with heart, principle, and the courage to make a stand,鈥� she said.
With the country鈥檚 two highest executives battling for control and the opposition gaining ground, the makeup of the upcoming Senate demands closer attention.
HUE鈥橲 WHO IN THE MAGIC 12? 馃煡馃煩馃煪
Allies of the country鈥檚 top two officials dominate the 2025 midterm elections, with two liberal opposition bets breaking through. |
鈥⑩仩 Track the election results live at .
鈥� Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet)
Based on electoral alliances, Bongbong gets six senator-elects in his corner, while Sara has four additional Senate allies. The liberal opposition bloc, on the other hand, gains two.
The freshly minted senators, expected to take oath on June 30, will be immediately thrust into the vice president鈥檚 high-stakes impeachment trial, likely set for a month after鈥攁 political battle that is sure to divide the chamber.
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The Philippine Constitution requires a two-thirds Senate vote, or 16 out of 24 senators, for a conviction. This means that Sara needs at least nine senators to vote for her acquittal.
As it stands, four senators from the 鈥淢agic 12鈥濃�擥o, Dela Rosa, Marcoleta, and Marcos鈥攚ill more than likely vote for Sara鈥檚 acquittal.
While saying he needs to find evidence first in the impeachment trial, Go is a known long-time ally of the Dutertes. Marcoleta, meanwhile, previously said he would defend the vice president against impeachment should he win a Senate seat.
Further, two new senators can potentially swing in Sara鈥檚 favor.
While officially part of Bongbong鈥檚 senatorial slate, both Erwin and Camille did not sign the impeachment complaint as House members in the 19th Congress. In addition, the latter was also endorsed by Sara.
Senators of the 20th Congress grouped by possible voting blocs in聽Vice President Sara Duterte鈥檚 impeachment trial
In adopting Camille and Imee into the slate, the PDP-Laban said 鈥渢here is a need to protect the Vice President against impeachment.鈥�
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The Marcos administration, meanwhile, has distanced itself from Sara鈥檚 impeachment trial. Bongbong previously asked the Congress not to go forward with the complaint against the vice president.
鈥淲e leave the impeachment in the hands of the Senate and the prosecutors. We should let the process flow normally,鈥� Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a recent presser.
Senators of the 20th Congress with terms starting in 2022鈥�2028 and 2025鈥�2031
There is no certainty yet as to how the other senators will vote in the impeachment trial.
With the Marcos-Duterte alliance dissolved, it has become difficult to determine at this point whether the holdover senators who ran under the UniTeam banner will side with or against Sara. Only one incumbent, Senator Robin Padilla, has explicitly stated that he would oppose the vice president鈥檚 impeachment.
While most senators have not issued any public statements regarding the upcoming trial, identified four other senators who will possibly favor Sara in the impeachment trial.
Senators who might favor Vice President聽Sara Duterte in her impeachment trial
Senator Jinggoy Estrada previously opposed the House decision to impeach the vice president, saying there are more 鈥減ressing problems in our country.鈥� Senators JV Ejercito and Juan Miguel Zubiri, meanwhile, said the move was 鈥渄ivisive,鈥� with the former seeing the impeachment as 鈥渕ore political than legal.鈥�
While calling for neutrality in the upcoming proceedings, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has been an ally of the Dutertes鈥攈e ran for vice president in 2016 as Rodrigo鈥檚 running mate and once served as foreign affairs secretary during his administration.
These classifications are based on electoral alliances and public statements, though political alignments may shift over time as dynamics evolve.