“Dark horse.”
This is how some political analysts are describing the sudden rise of former Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, as well as SAGIP Party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, in the partial and unofficial results of the 2025 midterm elections.
Currently, Aquino is in 2nd place, having secured strong support from the vote-rich Lingayen-Lucena corridor, followed by Pangilinan in 5th place and Marcoleta in 6th.
According to political analyst Professor Julio Teehankee of De La Salle University, Aquino and Pangilinan’s surge can be attributed to the turnout of young, first-time voters.
As for Marcoleta — who gained notoriety for leading the charge to shut down ABS-CBN’s franchise in 2020 — his rise is seen as a “protest vote” against the administration of President Bongbong Marcos.
It’s worth noting that none of the three were ranked in pre-election surveys prior to the polls.
Aquino and Pangilinan ran under an “Independent” strategy despite their affiliations — Aquino is a member of Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP), while Pangilinan is part of the Liberal Party (LP).
Marcoleta, on the other hand, although officially running as an Independent, was included in the “Team DuterTEN” slate of PDP-Laban, the party of detained former President Rodrigo Duterte.