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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'It's an open race': Bam Aquino believes Senate seats still up for grabs

'It's an open race': Bam Aquino believes Senate seats still up for grabs

Published Mar 2, 2025 04:11 am

Despite trailing in the Magic 12 of pre-election surveys, senatorial aspirant Bam Aquino believes that the May 2025 Senate race is still an “open race.”
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Bam_Cebu.jpegIndependent senatorial candidate Bam Aquino is joined by some of his supporters during a campaign sortie in Cebu. (Bam Aquino Media Bureau)

In a media interview on the sidelines of a house-to-house campaign with former senator Kiko Pangilinan and Akbayan Partylist first nominee and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno in Mandaluyong City, Aquino remarked on the different pre-election surveys results.

“Well, alam niyo may lumabas na 11, may lumabas na 10, may lumabas na 14, may lumabas na 17 (Well, one survey had me at 11th, another had me at 10th, one had me at 14th, another had me at 17th),” he said on Saturday, March 2.

“I think ‘yung lumalabas lang talaga, ‘yung laban na ito bukas talaga siya. Bukas sa marami sa amin, siguro may tatlo o apat lang siguro na sure winner dyan, pero ‘yung karamihan po talagang nakikipagtunggali pa talaga (I think it only shows that this race is open. Open for many of us, there might only be three or four who are sure winners there, but many of us are still vying),” the former senator added.

Aquino said he and Pangilinan are “very, very positive” that as long as people will be vocal about their support and their volunteers will work harder on the ground, the survey results will improve.

“Of course, kailangan sipagan pa, kailangan suyurin pa, manligaw pa sa mga kababayan natin (we need to work harder, reach more, woo our countrymen),” he added.

The former senator shared that they flew to Cebu after their Mandaluyong City stint on Saturday.

So far, they already visited 12 provinces in the two-and-a-half weeks of the campaign period.

“Balak ho talaga namin maikot ang buong Pilipinas, makausap at makaisang puso ang ating mga kababayan dito po sa laban na ito (We plan to go around the whole Philippines, talk with our countrymen in this fight),” Aquino stressed.

Cebu sortie

On Sunday, March 2, Aquino found himself in vote-rich Cebu province to share about his advocacies to expand the Free College Law and policies on guaranteed employment.

“Sa batas po natin, nailagay natin diyan iyong Tertiary Education Subsidy, o tawag po namin, libreng pabaon (The Tertiary Education Subsidy is included in our law, or that’s what we call free stipend),” he told students and parents at the Brgy. Luz in Cebu City.

The allowance is for transportation, food, dormitory, books, projects, and other needs that were excluded from the tuition fee or miscellaneous fees, the former senator added.

“Kaya mahalaga, mapondohan po ‘yung batas natin ng lubos-lubos para iyong kabataan nating nangangailangan, may may tulong para makapagtapos (That’s why it’s important to fund our law so we can help our students),” Aquino stated.

The latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted through face-to-face interviews from Feb. 15 to 19, 2025, showed Aquino in ranks 16 to 17, while Pangilinan was at rank 15.

Related Tags

campaign sortie 2025 Senate race Bam Aquino
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