Senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan admitted he was surprised to land in the Top 5 of the 2025 senatorial race, despite his deep gratitude for the support he received.
According to the final and official count released by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), Pangilinan placed fifth with 15,343,229 votes—defying pre-election survey projections.
In an interview with One News, the returning senator said he had not expected the result, especially since major polling firms like SWS, Pulse Asia, and OCTA Research had consistently placed him either outside the Magic 12 or barely holding onto 12th place.
“Hindi namin na-expect although we’re looking at the numbers and, 5 or 6 different surveys noh, placing me anywhere between 12 to 18 so it was really a tight fight and because it was a tight fight, sabi ko sa sarili ko, anything is possible,” Pangilinan said.
While he and his allies—returning Senator Bam Aquino and former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza—had topped various university mock polls, Pangilinan admitted they were cautious about those numbers, having seen how results can sharply differ on election day, as in 2022.
Asked about his campaign strategy this time, Pangilinan said they learned from their past defeats in 2016, 2019, and 2022 and focused more on strengthening their platform.
“Sabi ko sa sarili ko nung pagpasok ng 2025, tatlo na ang talo natin sabi ko sa mga kasamahan ko, eh matuto naman tayo. Pagod na ako sa talo,” Pangilinan shared.
He also credited part of their victory to the internal conflict between President Bongbong Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte, as well as their own deliberate silence on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) case against former President and Davao City Mayor-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Pangilinan will officially begin his fourth term in the Senate on June 30.