Incumbent senator Christopher "Bong" Go walks toward his supporters after filing their certificate of candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections in Manila on October 3, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA — Re-electionist Bong Go on Tuesday expressed gratitude after topping the 2025 Senate race.

“Truly, God is good. God is fair. Maraming salamat sa Panginoon sa buhay at gabay, at sa buong sambayanang Pilipino sa tiwala at suporta sa isang simpleng probinsyanong binigyan ninyo ng pagkakataong magsilbi sa bayan,” Go said on Facebook. 

(I thank the Lord for his guidance, and the Filipino people for the trust and support you’ve given to a simple man from a province to serve the country.)

With 97.23 percent of election returns transmitted as of 2:20 p.m., Go led the senatorial race with some 26.46 million votes, followed by Bam Aquino with around 20.6 million votes.

Bong Go on taking top Senate spot: 'Para akong nabunutan ng tinik'

The senator said he would use his fresh mandate to lobby for health, food, job security and education in the next three years in Senate.

“Sa abot ng aking makakaya, asahan na patuloy kong ibibigay ang aking sipag, malasakit at more serbisyo upang isulong ang inyong kapakanan, lalo na pagdating sa kalusugan, pagkain, mas maayos na trabaho at hanapbuhay, at edukasyon,” he said.

The battle for the Senate carries potentially major implications for the presidential election in 2028.

The 12 senators chosen nationally will form half the jury in an impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte later this year that could see her permanently barred from public office.

Duterte's long-running feud with former ally Marcos erupted in February when she was impeached by the House for alleged "high crimes," including corruption and an assassination plot against the president.

Barely a month later, her father — former President Rodrigo Duterte — was arrested and sent to the International Criminal Court in The Hague to face a charge of crimes against humanity over his deadly drug crackdown.

Go was a longtime aide of the Duterte patriarch before he joined the Senate. 

Despite his prisoner status, Duterte regained the mayorship of family stronghold Davao City in a landslide vote.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse

ABS-CBN's online portal of partial, unofficial results of the 2025 national and local elections can be viewed here.

Filipinos worldwide can stay updated on other election-related news via the “Halalan” page on ABS-CBN.com.

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