NEWLY proclaimed Senator-elect Bam Aquino credited his electoral victory to the dedication and hard work of youth volunteers who powered his campaign.
Aquino secured the second-highest number of votes in the 2025 senatorial race, garnering 20,971,899 votes.
He was officially proclaimed on Saturday in a ceremony held at the Manila Hotel by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In his speech, delivered in Filipino, Aquino recalled how his campaign started from a difficult position.
“To be honest, we weren’t in the top 12. In fact, we weren’t even in the top 20 when we first announced we would run,” he said.
Despite consistently low rankings in pre-election surveys alongside fellow candidate Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Aquino credited their eventual success to grassroots support.
He emphasized the role of young volunteers who campaigned tirelessly by speaking out, posting on social media, and going door-to-door to win support.
“It wasn’t the candidate, but the youth and volunteers who made this possible,” he said.
The 2025 midterm polls saw a record-breaking 81.65 percent voter turnout, which Comelec Chairperson George Garcia attributed largely to increased participation from young voters—an energized demographic that played a crucial role in Aquino’s return to the Senate.
