MANILA — Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco pointed fingers at fellow lawmakers for the disappointing performance of the administration-led Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas in the 2025 midterm elections, citing the controversial impeachment move against Vice President Sara Duterte as a key factor.
In an interview with RG Cruz of ABS-CBN News, Tiangco said that the coalition suffered a public backlash following the House’s decision to initiate impeachment proceedings against Duterte, a move he believes alienated many voters, particularly in Mindanao.
“Nagkaroon ng backlash naman talaga. Yung impeachment, kung di nila ginawa yun, di ganito kasama tsaka parang nagkaroon ng pattern,” Tiangco said.
He added that the coalition didn’t even bother campaigning in Mindanao — widely seen as a Duterte stronghold — anticipating a poor reception from voters. “We already expected that the response would be cold, and the election results reflected that,” Tiangco added.
However, Quezon Province 2nd District Representative David Suarez countered Tiangco’s claims, defending the House’s move. He pointed out that 86% of lawmakers signed the impeachment complaint, suggesting widespread support. “If public sentiment was truly against it, we wouldn’t have had that many signatures,” Suarez argued.
Out of the 10 senatorial candidates fielded by Alyansa, only five made it to the “Magic 12” and are set to be proclaimed today, May 17: Tito Sotto, Ping Lacson, Erwin Tulfo, Pia Cayetano, and Lito Lapid.
Meanwhile, the coalition’s other bets — Senators Bong Revilla and Francis Tolentino, Makati Mayor Abby Binay, former Senator Manny Pacquiao, and former DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos — failed to secure seats in the Senate.
The internal rift highlights ongoing tensions within the administration coalition as it prepares for the looming impeachment trial and navigates the political fallout of the 2025 polls.