Senate to receive 3 neophyte, 5 returning, 4 reelectionist senators

“Magic 12” in the May 2022 senatorial polls. INQUIRER graphics

MANILA, Philippines — Twelve winning senatorial candidates were proclaimed Wednesday and will be part of the Senate for the next six years.

The winning candidates were proclaimed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which sits as the National Board of Canvassers, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Neophyte senators

The halls of the Senate will welcome three newbie senators—Senators Robin Padilla, Raffy Tulfo, and Mark Villar.

Despite his neophyte status, Padilla topped the senatorial race this year after garnering more than 26.6 million votes. He is over 2.4 million votes ahead of the second-ranking senator in the senatorial race.

Padilla earlier said he will push for the country’s shift to federalism.

Tulfo, a known broadcaster, placed third in the senatorial race after securing over 23.3 million votes. Tulfo consistently topped pre-election voter preference surveys.

Now an elected senator, Tulfo said he intends to join the majority bloc to give him better chances of pushing for his advocacies that would benefit Filipinos.

Villar, who formerly served as public works secretary under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, joins his mother—Senator Cynthia Villar—in the Senate.

He placed sixth in the senatorial race after garnering more than 19.4 million votes. During his campaign, Villar has been vocal about continuing the government’s Build, Build, Build infrastructure program.

Returning senators

Meanwhile, five former senators are making a comeback.

From serving as the Antique’s representative over the past three years, Loren Legarda returns to the Senate after placing second and garnering more than 24.2 million votes.

Legarda served in the Senate from 1998 to 2004 and from 2007 to 2019.

Another senator making a comeback is Sorsogon Governor Francis “Chiz” Escudero who placed fifth with over 20.2 million votes.

Escudero served as representative of Sorsogon’s 1st District from 1998 to 2007 and was the House Minority Leader from 2004 to 2007. His senatorial bid in 2007 was successful and he served as a senator until 2019 before vying for Sorsogon’s gubernatorial post.

Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano also returns to the Senate as he joins his older sister, Senator Pia Cayetano.

The younger Cayetano was first elected as senator in 2007. In 2016, he decided to run for vice president alongside then Davao City mayor Duterte. He lost in the vice presidential race and returned to the Senate.

However, his senatorial term was cut short after he was appointed by Duterte as secretary of foreign affairs in 2017. In 2019, he was elected as Taguig-Pateros representative and served as House Speaker until his ouster in October 2020.

After their unsuccessful senatorial bid in 2019, half-brothers JV Ejercito and Jinggoy Estrada will re-enter Senate after placing 10th and 12th, respectively.

Ejercito served as senator from 2013 to 2019 while Estrada was a part of the Senate from 2004 to 2016.

Reelectionist senators

Four senators who sought re-election succeeded and will have another term of six years.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian placed fourth after getting more than 20.6 million votes.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri placed eight (18.7 million votes), Senator Joel Villanueva placed ninth (18.4 million votes), and Senator Risa Hontiveros placed 11th (15.4 million votes).

Zubiri, Gatchalian, and Villanueva were a part of the majority bloc in the 18th Congress. Hontiveros is the sole member of the minority who will return to the Senate.

/MUF