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2028 Philippine Senate election

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2028 Philippine Senate election

← 2025 May 8, 2025 (2025-05-08) 2031 →

12 (of the 24) seats to the Senate of the Philippines
13 seats needed for a majority

Composition of the Senate before the election, with the seats up for election inside the box.

Incumbent Senate President

To be determined
To be determined



The 2028 Philippine Senate election will be the 36th election of members to the Senate of the Philippines. It is scheduled to be held on May 8, 2028, within the 2028 Philippine general election. The seats of the 12 senators elected in 2022 were going to be contested in this election. The senators who will be elected in this election will serve until 2034, joining the winners of the 2025 election to form the Senate's delegation to the 21st Congress of the Philippines, with the senators elected in 2025 serving until 2031.

Background

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In the 2025 election, the administration slate Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas backed by president Bongbong Marcos won a plurality of the seats in the Philippine Senate.[1] Leading up to the opening of the 20th Congress, Senator-elect Tito Sotto expressed his openness to becoming Senate president if he has sufficient support to be elected.[2] Sotto previously held this position from 2018 until 2022. On May 17, Sotto revealed that a number of Senators have expressed their support for his return to the senate presidency.[3] In response, Senate President Francis Escudero, who has held the position since 2024, said it is up to the majority on who will lead the Senate in the next Congress.[4] Senator Imee Marcos is also emerging as a frontrunner to clinch the Senate presidency.[5]

Electoral system

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The Philippines has a 24-member Senate elected at-large. Every three years since 1995, 12 seats are contested. For 2028, the seats last elected in 2022 will be contested. Each voter has 12 votes, of which one can vote for one to twelve candidates, or a multiple non-transferable vote; the twelve candidates with the most votes are elected.

Senators are limited to serving two consecutive terms, although they are eligible for a third (and succeeding) non-consecutive term.[6] Only half of the seats are up in every senatorial election.[7] The winning Senators will succeed those elected in 2022, and will join those elected in 2025 to form the 21st Congress.

Each party or coalition endorses a slate of candidates, typically not exceeding a 12-person ticket.[8] A party may also choose to invite "guest candidates" to complete its slate. [9] The party may even include, with the candidates' consent, independent candidates and candidates from other parties as the party's guest candidates. Parties also may form coalitions to endorse a multi-party slate of candidates.

Winning candidates are proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC). The NBOC usually proclaims Senators-elect by batches, if that candidate can no longer fall to worse than twelfth place in the tally. Post-proclamation disputes are handled by the Senate Electoral Tribunal, a body composed of six Senators and three justices from the Supreme Court.

As this election is held concurrently with a presidential election, presidential candidates may present a senatorial ticket of candidates.

Term-limited and retiring incumbents

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Term-limited incumbents

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The following are serving a successive six-year term and are barred from seeking reelection:

  1. Win Gatchalian (NPC), intent unknown
    Gatchalian is seen as a potential vice presidential candidate for 2028.[10][11]
  2. Risa Hontiveros (Akbayan), intent unknown
    Hontiveros is speculated to be candidate for the presidency in 2028.[12][13][11][14] She is also seen as potential vice presidential candidate.[15]
  3. Joel Villanueva (Independent), retiring from politics
    Villanueva said that he is retiring in public office in 2028.[16]
  4. Juan Miguel Zubiri (Independent), retiring from politics
    Zubiri announced that he will not run for public office in 2028.[17]

Retiring incumbents

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The following senator's term is ending in 2028, is eligible to run, but plans to retire:

  1. Robin Padilla (PDP), retiring from politics
    Padilla stated that he is retiring in 2028 after his first term.[18]

Marginal seats

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These are the marginal seats that had a winning margin of 5% or less against the 13th placed candidate in the 2022 election, in ascending order via margin:

Incumbent Party 2022 margin 2028 results
Jinggoy Estrada PMP 3.32% Incumbent intent unknown
Risa Hontiveros Akbayan 3.88% Incumbent term-limited[19]
JV Ejercito NPC 4.64% Incumbent intent unknown

Participating parties

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In both chambers of Congress, members are organized into "blocs", akin to parliamentary groups elsewhere. In keeping with the traditions of the Third Philippine Republic which was under a two-party system, there are two main blocs, the majority and minority blocs; this is although the country is now in a multi-party system. Those who voted for the Senate President are from the majority bloc, while those who did not (if there are more than two candidates for the Senate Presidency) will vote amongst themselves on who will be the minority bloc. Those who belong to neither bloc shall be the independent minority bloc. Members can also be from the independent bloc.[20] Each bloc can have members from multiple parties. Only the majority and minority blocs have voting privileges in committees.

Parties in the Senate at the end of the 20th Congress of the Philippines
Party Current seats Bloc membership Political affiliation
Up Not Up Total Majority Minority Other 2025 2028
NPC 4 2
6 / 24
TBD TBD TBD Alyansa TBA
Akbayan 1 0
1 / 24
TBD TBD TBD KiBam TBA
Nacionalista 1 3
4 / 24
TBD TBD TBD Alyansa TBA
PDP 1 2
3 / 24
TBD TBD TBD DuterTen TBA
PMP 1 0
1 / 24
TBD TBD TBD TBA
KANP 0 1
1 / 24
TBD TBD TBD KiBam TBA
Lakas 0 1
1 / 24
TBD TBD TBD Alyansa TBA
Liberal 0 1
1 / 24
TBD TBD TBD KiBam TBA
PFP 0 0
0 / 24
Alyansa TBA
Independent 4 2
6 / 24
TBD TBD TBD
Total 12 12 24 / 24

Candidates

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Declared

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The following individuals have publicly declared their intention to run for the Senate in the 2028 elections:

Potential

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The following individuals have not officially declared their candidacy but are seen as likely contenders or have expressed interest in running:

References

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  1. ^ "Comelec proclaims Senate winners". inquirer.net. Associated Press, Inquirer. 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  2. ^ Magsambol, Bonz (2025-05-16). "Will Tito Sotto lead the Senate in the 20th Congress?". rappler.com. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  3. ^ Ramos, Marlon (2025-05-17). "Tito Sotto says 4 peers urging his return as Senate president". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  4. ^ Garner, Jom (2025-05-15). "Chiz: Senate presidency up to majority". tribune.net.ph. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  5. ^ "Chiz on the Chopping Block? Tito Sotto, Imee Marcos in Play for Senate Takeover". politiko.com.ph. Politiko. 2025-05-15. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  6. ^ "Term of Office and Privileges". senate.gov.ph. Senate of the Philippines. Archived from the original on 2020-08-30. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  7. ^ Samonte, Severino. "Why only 12 are elected every 3 years for the 24-member Senate?". pna.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2022-04-15. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  8. ^ "Election for Senado (Philippine Senate)". electionguide.org. Election Guide. Archived from the original on 2019-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  9. ^ Quezon, Manuel L. III (2013-05-11). "The Great Divide: The midterm election of 2013 (Part 1)". quezon.ph. Archived from the original on 2016-01-14. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  10. ^ Jimenez, Josephus (2023-03-06). "The administration's bet in 2028 won't be Inday Sara". philstar.com. The Freeman. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  11. ^ a b Lopez, Tony (2025-05-17). "The president in 2028". philstar.com. The Freeman. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  12. ^ Ager, Maila (2024-07-02). "Hontiveros: I'm not yet considering running for president in 2028". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  13. ^ Heydarian, Richard (2024-08-06). "Risa Hontiveros: Road to presidency". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  14. ^ Abarca, Charie (2025-05-21). "Risa Hontiveros 'open' to be opposition standard-bearer in 2028". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-05-21.
  15. ^ "VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Circulating graphic of Kiko-Risa tandem for the 2028 elections NOT OFFICIAL". verafiles.org. Vera Files. 2022-11-18. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  16. ^ "Kapihan sa Senado: Senator Joel Villanueva". senate.gov.ph. Senate of the Philippines. 2025-04-29. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  17. ^ Abarca, Charie (2024-04-01). "Zubiri on vice presidency: 'I will not be running for any public office in 2028'". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  18. ^ "Robin Padilla mulls exit from politics in 2028: 'Hindi ako sasama sa sinking ship'". politiko.com. Atty. Karen Jimeno. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  19. ^ Bernardo, Jaehwa (2022-05-10). "Hontiveros is sole opposition in Senate Magic 12 race, Padilla keeps lead". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
  20. ^ Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne (2022-07-25). "4 senators opt out of majority bloc, to be minority or 'independent'". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  21. ^ Villaruel, Jauhn Etienne (2024-05-09). "'Frontrunner' Tulfo to seek Senate reelection 'at most' in 2028". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  22. ^ a b c d Tordesillas, Ellen (2025-05-18). "Sara Duterte impeachment trial: first round in the 2028 presidential contest". verafiles.org. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  23. ^ Ramos-Araneta, Macon (2024-05-28). "Escudero: No plans to run for President, VP in 2028". manilastandard.net. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  24. ^ Valmonte, Kaycee (2025-05-09). "For the Villars, everything is a family business". rappler.com. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  25. ^ a b c "Maybe Next Time". facebook.com. Philippine Star. 2025-05-16. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  26. ^ "Revenge of the Woke". facebook.com. Daily Tribune. 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  27. ^ Cabalza, Dexter (2025-05-14). "Akbayan tops party list race; Bayan Muna faces delisting". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  28. ^ "Chel Diokno posible pa ring tumakbo bilang senador". abante.com. Abante News. 2025-05-20. Retrieved 2025-05-20.
  29. ^ a b Ronquillo, Marlen (2025-05-21). "Heidi and Luke: The Kiko-Bam of the next election". manilatimes.net. Retrieved 2025-04-21.
  30. ^ "Pitch for Cielo Magno: Senator 2028". facebook.com. Nutribun Republic. 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
  31. ^ Verano, Ramon Franco (2025-05-06). "FACT CHECK: Post links Pasig City hall project to Vico Sotto 2028 Senate bid without proof". rappler.com. Retrieved 2025-05-18.
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