Only 3 ‘DuterTEN’ senatorial bets win in 2025 polls

Only three, not all 10 senatorial candidates endorsed by former president Rodrigo Duterte, known collectively as the “DuterTEN,” won in the 2025 midterm elections, contrary to a misleading Facebook post.

The Facebook page Rodante Marcoleta Solid Supporters posted the false claim on May 19, saying: 

G00D NEWS TO DUTERTEN PANALO LAHAT (Good news to DuterTEN, they all won). 

Official election results contradict this claim. Only three “DuterTEN” candidates secured Senate seats and were proclaimed winners by the Commission on Elections on May 17.

Bong Go led the race with over 27 million votes, Bato Dela Rosa ranked third with more than 20 million votes, and lawyer Rodante Marcoleta ranked sixth with over 15 million votes. Go and Dela Rosa are reelectionists.

According to data from the Commission on Elections cited by GMA Integrated News, the Duterte-backed slate only achieved a full win in Mindanao, where Duterte continues to enjoy strong public support. 

The top 12 in that region included not only Go, Dela Rosa and Marcoleta but also Camille Villar and Imee Marcos, both endorsed by the Dutertes, giving the Duterte camp a complete sweep.

In Luzon, which holds more than half of the national electorate, only Go and Dela Rosa from the DuterTEN and Marcos made it to the top 12. 

In the Visayas, Marcoleta joined Go, Dela Rosa and Villar in the winning circle.

The other seven DuterTEN bets who failed to secure seats have called for a manual recount and investigation into alleged election anomalies.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia, however, said that a manual recount is not permitted under Republic Act No. 9369 or the Automated Election Law. He explained that canvassing must remain automated and a manual recount can only proceed through a formal election protest.

The Facebook post has garnered 123 reactions, 11 comments and 11 shares as of this writing. The page was created in April 2021 and has around 30,000 followers and 30,000 likes. (DA)