LIST: Celebrities who won, lost in 2025 elections
MANILA, Philippines — The 2025 midterm elections saw a number of celebrities and personalities run for public office, a few of them victorious in their political bids.
Here is Philstar.com's running list of celebrities and personalities who won (and a few who lost) in the 2025 midterm elections.
Senate
Former broadcaster and current ACT-CIS Rep. Erwin Tulfo expectedly finished in the "Magic 12" of individuals running for senator, albeit garnerning the fourth-most votes behind incumbent senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa as well as former senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino.
Bam served a Senate term from 2013 to 2019. Prior to his Senate stint, Bam hosted television shows like "Y Speak," "Breakfast," and "Start-Up."
Returning to the Senate is host-comedian and former Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III after a failed vice-presidential bid in 2022 where he finished third behind eventual winner Sara Duturte and Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, the latter who is poised to do a Senate comeback after placing in the top 5 spots in the partial and unofficial tally of votes.
Also retaining a Senate seat is longtime actor-politician Lito Lapid, marking his third consecutive term and sixth overall. At 11th, Lapid only just made it into the "Magic 12," as did politician Camille Villar, the current Representative for Las Piñas.
Her entry makes two Villars in the Senate, with her brother Mark, former Department of Public Works and Highways head, serving a term. There is also another set of siblings in the Senate with Erwin Tulfo making the Top 12, leading to him joining his brother Raffy in the upper house.
A third Tulfo, Ben, was expected to make the cut but is hovering at 13th behind incumbent senator Imee Marcos. Behind Ben and, also surprisingly out of the "Magic 12," is longtime actor-politician Bong Revilla.
Other personalities that are not in the "Magic 12" are singer and 2023 Bar passer Jimmy Bondoc (17th), former senator and boxing champion Manny Pacquiao (18th), actor Phillip Salvador (19th), and television host and singer Willie Revillame.
Content creator Dr. Willie Ong withdrew his Senate bid last February but still placed 27th. Political vlogger and handler of the "Models of Manila TV" YouTube channel Marc Gamboa was at a distant 57th.
Related: How celebrities fared in the 2025 Senate elections
Congress
In the race for first district of Quezon City, incumbent House Rep. Arjo Atayde is currently holding off former congressman Bingbong Crisologo.
Also facing competition is incumbent Richard Gomez, who leads the Leyte's 4th District race over Ching Veloso — the former representative of the province's third district.
Actress Lani Mercado-Revilla is running unopposed in the second district of Cavite and is set to see a second consecutive term, having also served from 2010 to 2016.
Her son, actor-comedian Jolo Revilla, is leading the race in Cavite's first district over Paul Abaya, a rematch of the 2022 elections.
Actor and current Oriental Mindoro vice-governor Ejay Falcon is trailing in the province's second district race to incumbent Rep. PA Umali.
Also trailing is actor Marco Gumabao in the race for Camarines Sur's fourth district behind incumbent Rep. Arnie Fuentebella.
A number of personalities ran for Congress as a party-list representative, but as of press time, only political TikToker Eli San Fernando is within reach of a House seat.
San Fernando is the first nominee of Kamanggagawa, which is placed 29th across all party-lists. Only 63 party-list seats are up for grabs, and some leading party-lists may get two or three seats.
The following also ran as party-list representatives but are unlikely to get a seat based on results:
- Comedian Bayani Agbayani, second nominee of Tupad
- Actor Zanjoe Marudo, second nominee of ASAP NA
- Pageant veteran and content creator Wilbert Tolentino, first nominee of Ahon Mahirap - 86th, 123,093 (0.37%)
- Actor-turned-politician Jeremy Marquez, first nominee of Solo Parents
- Vlogger Norris John Okamoto, first nominee of Lingap - 139th, 30,625 (0.09%)
- Pageantry and modeling director Jonas Gaffud, third nominee of ARTE
Related: How celebrities are faring in 2025 elections for Congress, party-list seats
Local
Actor Isko Moreno marked a triumphant return to the Manila mayoral position in an intriguing race that included another actor Raymond Bagatsing and Tutok To Win Party-List Rep. Sam Verzosa, Frontrow co-founder and boyfriend of Rhian Ramos.
Moreno's running mate, Chi Atienza, defeated incumbent vice-mayor and actor Yul Servo, who ran again with Honey Lacuna. His son Joaquin, also an actor, topped the race for councilor in the capital city's first district.
Actress Lucy Torres-Gomez, wife of the previously mentioned Richard, is set for another term as mayor of Ormoc, Leyte.
"Star For All Season" Vilma Santos is set to return as the Batangas governor, but her son, fellow actor and running mate Luis Manzano is trailing the vice gubernatorial race.
In the fifth district of Quezon City, actor-politicians Alfred Vargas and Aiko Melendez won re-relection as councilors, while actor Enzo Pineda finished outside the six allocated seats.
Actor-politician Lou Veloso won a third consecutive term as councilor in Manila's sixth district — a position he previously held from 1995 to 2004 and 2007 to 2013.
In landslide victory, actor Daniel Fernando won his third and final consecutive term as Bulacan governor with fellow actor Alex Castro as his vice governor again.
Former ABS-CBN reporter Sol Aragones, for her part, will be Laguna's governor, defeating actor Dan Fernandez. Beauty queen Leren Bautista meanwhile won a councilor seat in Los Baños.
Rapper Michael Pacquiao, the second son of the previously mentioned Manny, made the cut for the 12 councilor seats in General Santos City, while actor Arron Villaflor just sneaked in the four provincial board members seats in Tarlac province's second district.
Also making it through was actress-comedienne Cai Cortez as a councilor in Taytay, Rizal.
In Pasig City's second district, "Pulang Araw" star Angelu de Leon won a second term as councilor. Actress Ara Mina and beauty queen Shamcey Supsup-Lee failed to secured seats in their respective districts.
Actress and former Viva Hot Babes member Jaycee Parker won re-election as a councilor in Angeles City, Pampaga, while actor Aljur Abrenica lost his political bid.
Actress Marjorie Barretto similarly did not secure a spot as Caloocan's first district councilor. She previously served as councilor of the city's second district from 2007 to 2013.
Also missing out on councilor seats were actress and former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Ali Forbes (Quezon City, 4th district), actor David Chua (Manila, 2nd district), and Wendell Ramos (Manila, 4th district).
Actor Rommel Padilla, brother of incumbent senator Robin Padilla and father of Daniel Padilla, finished last in the Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija mayoral race.
Actor-turned-politician and former taekwondo champion Monsour del Rosario lost the vice-mayor race in Makati to the city's 1st District Rep. Kid Peña, though del Rosario's running mate and outgoing senator Nancy Binay beat her brother-in-law Luis Campos.
Actress Angelika Dela Cruz trailed Edward Nolasco in the race for Malabon vice-mayor, actor-politician Anjo Yllana heavily lost the Calamba vice-mayor race to incumbent Totie Lazaro.
In Parañaque, actor-politician Jomari Yllana's wife, Abby Viduya, and his younger brother, Ryan Yllana, both lost their councilor bids in the city's first and second districts, respectively.
Successful though in Parañaque's first district were Yeoj Marquez, oldest son of Alma Moreno and Joey Marquez, and Roselle Nava's husband Allen Tan.
Actor-singer DJ Durano lost his bid to be mayor of Sogod, Cebu, actor-businessman Emilio Garcia lost the mayoral race in Bay, Laguna, and former "It's Showtime" director and incumbent councilor of Pililla, Rizal, Bobet Vidanes, lost the municipality's mayoral race. — with reports from Jan Milo Severo
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