By Mariela Angella Oladive
Iloilo reaffirmed its status as an opposition stronghold in the 2025 midterm elections, delivering solid support for former Senators Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Aquino topped the senatorial race in Iloilo province’s 42 towns and one component city with 552,888 votes and secured 148,643 more in Iloilo City for a total of 701,531 votes.
Pangilinan followed with 412,202 votes in the province and 113,852 in the city, bringing his total to 526,054 votes.
Trailing them in the provincial tally were Erwin Tulfo with 407,317 votes, Bong Go with 379,664 and Pia Cayetano with 312,176.
In Iloilo City, Go placed third with 112,353 votes, followed by Tulfo with 94,405 and Ping Lacson with 86,249.
Aquino and Pangilinan have long relied on Iloilo’s support, having performed well in previous elections.
In 2019, Aquino placed second in Iloilo City with 115,013 votes despite failing to secure a national seat.
In 2022, Pangilinan outpolled now Vice President Sara Duterte in Iloilo City with 107,465 votes to Duterte’s 92,946 while running as Leni Robredo’s vice-presidential candidate.
That same year, Robredo dominated the city’s presidential vote, earning 149,256 votes over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 85,117.
Aquino and Pangilinan drew over 5,000 supporters during a March 6 campaign rally at the Iloilo Sports Complex Provincial Gym.
They were joined onstage by Robredo, Senator Risa Hontiveros, former Senate President Franklin Drilon and Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor.
Pangilinan thanked Ilonggos for their continued support and said he does not take their trust for granted.
He added that the breakup of the Marcos-Duterte alliance creates a strategic opportunity for the opposition.
Aquino pledged to build on the legacy of fellow Ilonggo Franklin Drilon, highlighting infrastructure and governance reforms across Iloilo and Panay.
According to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Iloilo has more than 1.3 million registered voters and ranks as the 12th most vote-rich province in the country.
Both Aquino and Pangilinan are poised for a Senate comeback, placing in the top five based on partial, unofficial Comelec results.
As of May 14 at 3:30 p.m., with 97.37% of election returns processed, Aquino ranked second with more than 20 million votes, while Pangilinan was in fifth place with over 15 million votes.
