1995 Philippine Senate election

Philippine Senate elections are via pluraity block voting, with the entire country as an at-large "district". Each voter has 12 votes, and can vote for up to 12 candidates. Seats up were for the 13th to 24th placed candidates in 1992. This is the first time that 12 seats will be up, and where the usual operation of the 1987 constitution is followed.

This was also the first midterm election for the 1987 constitution, and the first since 1971, as the date the elected candidates take office falls at the midway point of President Fidel V. Ramos' six-year term.

There were two major coalitions in this election:

• Lakas–Laban Coalition, a united ticket between the administration party Lakas–NUCD–UMDP and opposition Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP)
• Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), other opposition politicians who against the Fidel V. Ramos administration.

The People's Reform Party (PRP) were initially a third party, but its primary candidate, defeated 1992 presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago, was drafted into the NPC slate.

Notably, the COMELEC did not allow any independents to run, but candidates from Bicol Saro, Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP) and Partido Nacionalista ng Pilipinas (PNP; no relation to then moribund Nacionalista Party) were allowed to run.

{{col-begin|width=auto}}

{{col-3}}

{{col-3}}

{{col-3}}

{{col-end}}

{{refbegin}}Note: Party affiliation based on Certificate of Candidacy.{{refend}}

This was the first Senate election where there were term-limited incumbents.

1. Butz Aquino (LDP), term limited, ran for representative from Makati's 2nd district in 1998 and won
2. Joey Lina (LDP), term limited, ran for governor of Laguna and won
3. John Henry Osmeña (NPC), term limited, ran for representative from Cebu's 3rd district and won; ran for senator in 1998 and won
4. Santanina Rasul (Lakas), term limited; ran for senator in 1998 and in 2001, both lost
5. Wigberto Tañada (Liberal), term limited, ran for representative from Quezon's 4th district and won; ran for senator in 2001 and lost

1. Teofisto Guingona Jr. (LDP), appointed Executive Secretary on July 6, 1993

As the counting of votes was ongoing on May 11, former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. alleged that some senatorial candidates currently outside the unfinished tally's top twelve spots were beginning to rig votes by bribing people involved in the electoral process.{{cite news|last=Villanueva|first=Marichu A.|title=Pimentel denounces post-poll cheating|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6ZkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DAsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6619%2C1734223|access-date=June 20, 2022|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=May 12, 1995|page=4}} Pimentel also shared that two of his fellow Lakas-Laban senatorial candidates revealed to him that a vote-buying scam called "Oplan Dagdag-Bawas" ({{literally|Add-Subtract}}) was occurring in Mindanao, where canvassers are bribed to shave off votes meant for Pimentel and transfer them to other candidates.{{cite news|last=Atadero|first=Arnold|title=Prove raps, Comelec dares accusers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6pkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DAsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6565%2C2015601|access-date=June 20, 2022|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=May 14, 1995|page=3}} Pimentel later admitted that he lacks evidence for his claim, while a Comelec commissioner named Regalado Maambong dismissed the allegation as false.{{cite news|last=Jacinto|first=Gerry G.|title=Enrile bares cheating proof|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6pkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DAsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2317%2C2766680|access-date=October 23, 2022|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Standard Publications, Inc.|date=May 19, 1995|page=5}} After the election, Pimentel established the Foundation for Clean Elections, Inc. in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila to help prevent fraud in the country's elections.{{cite news|title='Firing Line' special on electoral reforms|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19951204&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=February 11, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=December 4, 1995|page=30B}}

By late 1995, the Senate Electoral Tribunal ordered to deduct more than 58,000 "unlawfully credited" votes for Juan Ponce Enrile in Bataan and Isabela from his tally, alongside 10,000 votes for Gringo Honasan and 7,000 votes for Ramon Mitra.{{cite news|last=Maragay|first=Fel|title=SWS survey unfair to economic managers|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jo0mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1AoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4119%2C1432936|access-date=February 11, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=December 9, 1995|page=23B}}

In May 1996, Maambong reversed his stance from the previous year and revealed that Comelec has found evidence of widespread cheating during the election.{{cite news|last=Macaspac|first=Joem H.|title=Comelec dared on fraud case|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=lpkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ggsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2682%2C2392771|access-date=July 5, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=May 16, 1996|page=1}} Resureccion Borra, then executive director of Comelec, later stated that the 1995 election was the first time "dagdag-bawas" was committed on a massive scale, and announced that they will attempt to prosecute canvassers in the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Bataan, and Lanao del Sur.{{cite news|last=Laborte|first=Annie Rose A.|title=There are Judases in Comelec – Borra|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=npkVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ggsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3290%2C3692443|access-date=July 5, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=May 24, 1996|page=5}}{{cite news|last=Maragay|first=Fel|title=Erap's loaded remarks|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n5kVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ggsEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3928%2C3914866|access-date=July 5, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=May 25, 1996|page=19B}} In July 1996, Senator Serge Osmeña revealed that he discovered a 30,000 vote discrepancy for him in Pasig City between the manual tally done by the Treasurer's Office and the certificates of canvass.{{cite news|last=Macaspac|first=Joem H.|title=Enrile challenges Pimentel to one-on-one poll contest |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=4GUVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=0goEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4359%2C253871|access-date=July 5, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=July 2, 1996|page=5}} By December, a regional trial court in Bataan ordered for the arrest of Cenon Uy, an assistant regional director for Comelec in Central Luzon, for having allegedly tampered with election results in the region to favor the candidacy of Enrile,{{cite news|last=Laborte|first=Annie Rose A.|title=Arrest of Comelec official in 'Dagdag-Bawas' hailed|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5J4VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zgoEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5626%2C1087374|access-date=July 5, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=December 8, 1996|page=5}} though he would remain in office until late 2000 when a pending court case against him forced his resignation.{{cite news|title=Pimentel commends Comelec for removing 1995 poll cheats|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jJ4VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=6goEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3926%2C2971105|access-date=July 5, 2023|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corp.|date=October 26, 2000|page=3}}

On February 10, 2000, Antonio Llorente and Ligaya Salayon, who were respectively Pasig City prosecutor and member of the Pasig board of canvassers at the time of the election, was charged by the Supreme Court for violating election laws after they admitted their "honest mistake" of taking away votes from Pimentel and transferring them to Enrile.{{cite news|last=Cueto|first=Donna S.|title=2 poll execs face raps for 'honest mistake'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3Ic1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=jyUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2018%2C11771712|access-date=June 20, 2022|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|publisher=The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.|date=February 11, 2000|page=4}} Llorente eventually went on indefinite leave from his position as Justice Undersecretary in September due to the Supreme Court standing by its ruling.{{cite news|last=Ubac|first=Michael Lim|title=Justice usec goes on leave|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2lQ1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=bSUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3233%2C13425717|access-date=August 13, 2022|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|publisher=The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.|date=September 28, 2000|page=A2}}

On September 11, 2000, Arsenia Garcia, who was chair of the Alaminos, Pangasinan municipal canvassers during the election, was convicted of electoral fraud by a Regional Trial Court in Alaminos due to her discarding more than 5,000 votes that were in favor of Pimentel, and sentenced to six years in prison.{{cite news|last=Fuertes|first=Yolanda|title=Court finds poll official guilty|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y1Q1AAAAIBAJ&sjid=bSUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1789%2C5880423|access-date=August 11, 2022|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|publisher=The Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc.|date=September 13, 2001|page=1}}

The Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) and the Lakas–NUCD won four each, while the Nacionalista Party, the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), People's Reform Party (PRP), and an independent won one seat each.

Three incumbent LDP senators won: Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, Raul Roco, and Francisco Tatad (originally elected as an NPC member). Nikki Coseteng was the sole NPC senator to successfully defend her seat.

Neophyte senators were Lakas's Franklin Drilon, Juan Flavier, Ramon Magsaysay Jr., and Serge Osmeña, LDP's Marcelo Fernan, Miriam Defensor Santiago of the PRP, and independent Gregorio Honasan.

Returning was Juan Ponce Enrile, who last served in the Senate in 1992.

Incumbents defeated were LDP's Rodolfo Biazon and NPC's Arturo Tolentino.

Key:

• ‡ Seats up
• + Gained by a party from another party
• √ Held by the incumbent
• * Held by the same party with a new senator
• ^ Vacancy

{{Philippine senate election, 1995}}

{{Election results |seattype1=Up |seattype2=Before |seattype3=Won |seattype4=After|seattype5=+/−

|image=300px

|party1=Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino

|votes1=63402619

|sw1=−10.28

|st1t1= 6

|st2t1= 16

|st3t1= 4

|st4t1= 14

|st5t1= −2

|party2=Lakas–NUCD

|votes2=43034397

|sw2=+5.96

|st1t2= 1

|st2t2= 2

|st3t2= 4

|st4t2= 5

|st5t2= +3

|party3=Nationalist People's Coalition

|votes3=29381030

|sw3=−1.62

|st1t3= 4

|st2t3= 5

|st3t3= 1

|st4t3= 2

|st5t3= −3

|party4=People's Reform Party

|votes4=11044407

|sw4=−3.83

|st1t4= 0

|st2t4= 0

|st3t4= 1

|st4t4= 1

|st5t4= New

|party6=PDP–Laban

|votes6=8522148

|sw6=New

|st1t6= 0

|st2t6= 0

|st3t6= 0

|st4t6= 0

|st5t6= 0

|party7=Kilusang Bagong Lipunan

|votes7=8168768

|sw7=−0.12

|st1t7= 0

|st2t7= 0

|st3t7= 0

|st4t7= 0

|st5t7= 0

|party8=Bicol Saro

|votes8=527612

|sw8=New

|st1t8= 0

|st2t8= 0

|st3t8= 0

|st4t8= 0

|st5t8= 0

|party9=Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas

|votes9=482328

|sw9=New

|st1t9= 0

|st2t9= 0

|st3t9= 0

|st4t9= 0

|st5t9= 0

|party10=Partido Nacionalista ng Pilipinas

|votes10=393712

|sw10=New

|st1t10= 0

|st2t10= 0

|st3t10= 0

|st4t10= 0

|stat10= 0

|party11=Independent

|votes11=17669807

|sw11=+9.53

|st1t11= 0

|st2t11= 0

|st3t11= 2

|st4t11= 2

|st5t11= New

|party12=Liberal Party

|st1t12= 1

|st2t12= 1

|st3t12= 0

|st4t12= 0

|st5t12= −1

|total_st1t=12

|total_st2t=24

|total_st3t=12

|total_st4t=24

|total_st5t=0

|totalvotes=25736505

|electorate=36415154

|source={{cite web|url=http://www.quezon.ph/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/Electoral%20Politics%20in%20the%20Philippines.pdf |title=Electoral Politics in the Philippines |publisher=quezon.ph |access-date=2010-12-10}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Vote share

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=600px

|barwidth=410px

|bars=

{{bar percent|LDP|{{party color|Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino}}|34.72}}

{{bar percent|Lakas|{{party color|Lakas–CMD}}|23.56}}

{{bar percent|NPC|{{party color|Nationalist People's Coalition}}|16.09}}

{{bar percent|PRP|{{party color|People's Reform Party}}|6.05}}

{{bar percent|Independent|{{party color|Independent}}|9.73}}

{{bar percent|Others|gray|5.92}}

}}

{{bar box

|title=Senate seats won

|titlebar=#ddd

|width=600px

|barwidth=410px

|bars=

{{bar percent|LDP|{{party color|Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino}}|33.33}}

{{bar percent|Lakas|{{party color|Lakas–CMD}}|33.33}}

{{bar percent|NPC|{{party color|Nationalist People's Coalition}}|8.33}}

{{bar percent|PRP|{{party color|People's Reform Party}}|8.33}}

{{bar percent|Independent|{{party color|Independent}}|16.66}}

{{bar percent|Others|gray|0.00}}

}}

1. Rodolfo Biazon (LDP/Lakas–Laban), ran in 1998 and won
2. Arturo Tolentino (NPC), retired from politics

• Commission on Elections
• Politics of the Philippines
• Philippine elections
• 10th Congress of the Philippines

{{reflist}}

• [http://www.comelec.gov.ph Official website of the Commission on Elections]
• [http://www.congress.gov.ph Official website of the House of Representatives]

{{Philippine elections}}

1995

Category:1995 elections in the Philippines