The 1998 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 26th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1998 to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. The two main competing coalitions in the senatorial election were Lakas—National Union of Christian Democrats—United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines and the

Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino The Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino () was the umbrella political opposition coalition during the 1998 Philippine general election that led to the election of then Vice President Joseph Estrada as President of the Philippines. It was the la ...

umbrella coalition composed of

Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP; ) is a political party in the Philippines founded by Ramon Mitra Jr. and Peping Cojuangco. LDP was more commonly referred to as Laban during its early years. History Early years and formation In Septembe ...

Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino The Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (), formerly Partido ng Masang Pilipino (), is a populist political party in the Philippines. It is the political party of former Philippine President Joseph E. Estrada. In the May 1998 presidential election, ...

Nationalist People's Coalition The Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) is a conservatism, conservative political party in the Philippines which was founded in 1992 by presidential candidate Danding Cojuangco. History Formation In 1990, amid political and economic unce ...

, and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino—Lakas ng Bayan. The two coalitions split the 12 contested seats 7–5 in favor of LAMMP.

Electoral system

Philippine Senate elections Elections to the Senate of the Philippines are done via plurality-at-large voting; a voter can vote for up to twelve candidates, with the twelve candidates with the highest number of votes being elected. The 24-member Senate uses staggered elect ...

are via pluraity block voting, with the entire country as an

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather tha ...

"district". Each voter has 12 votes, and can vote for up to 12 candidates. Seats up were for the 1st to 12th placed candidates in 1992.

Candidates

The two major presidential candidates, House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia Jr. of Lakas—NUCD—UMDP and

Vice President A vice president or vice-president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vi ...

Joseph E. Estrada of

LAMMP The Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino () was the umbrella political opposition coalition during the 1998 Philippine general election that led to the election of then Vice President Joseph Estrada as President of the Philippines. It was the la ...

presented full 12-person senatorial slates. Former National Defense Secretary

Renato de Villa Renato "Rene" Salud de Villa (born July 20, 1935) is a Filipino former police and military officer and government official. He served as Chief of Philippine Constabulary, Director-General of the Integrated National Police, and Chief of Staff o ...

's Partido ng Demokratikong Reporma, Santiago Dumlao's Kilusan para sa Pambansang Pagpapanibago, and Manila Mayor

Alfredo Lim Alfredo "Fred" Siojo Lim (; December 21, 1929 – August 8, 2020) was a Filipino politician, police officer and lawyer who served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator of the Philippines from 2004 to 2007, He also served as the 20th Mayor of ...

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

also presented senatorial slates. Oliver Lozano was the sole independent not included in senatorial slates who was allowed to run.

Administration coalition

Primary opposition coalition

Other opposition coalitions

Independents

Retiring and term limited incumbents

# Heherson Alvarez ( LDP), term limited, ran for representative from Isabela's

4th district Fourth or the fourth may refer to: * the ordinal form of the number 4 * ''Fourth'' (album), by Soft Machine, 1971 * Fourth (angle), an ancient astronomical subdivision * Fourth (music), a musical interval * ''The Fourth'', a 1972 Soviet drama ...

and won; ran for senator in 2004 and lost #

Edgardo Angara Edgardo Javier Angara (, September 24, 1934 – May 13, 2018) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as Senate President from 1993 to 1995. Angara had the second longest tenure in the history of the Senate, serving four terms and a ...

( LDP), term limited, ran for Vice President of the Philippines and lost; ran for senator in 2001 and won #

Neptali Gonzales Neptali Alvaro Gonzales (June 10, 1923 – September 16, 2001), better known as Neptali Gonzales, Sr., was a Filipino politician who served as the President of the Philippine Senate from 1992 to 1993, 1995 to 1996, and 1998. Early life and ...

( LDP), term limited, retired from politics # Ernesto Herrera ( LDP), term limited, ran for representative from

Bohol Bohol (), officially the Province of Bohol (; ), is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas Regions of the Philippines, region, consisting of the island itself and 75 minor surrounding islands. It is home to Bohola ...

's 1st district and won; ran for senator in 2001 and in 2004 and lost both times #

Ernesto Maceda Ernesto Madarang "Ernie" Maceda Sr. (March 26, 1935 – June 20, 2016) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, and columnist who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1971 to 1972 and again from 1987 to 1998. He served as Senate President fro ...

( NPC), term limited, ran for mayor of

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

and lost; ran for senator in 2004 and lost # Orlando S. Mercado ( LDP), term limited, was subsequently appointed as Secretary of National Defense; ran for senator in 2001 and in 2004 and lost both times #

Alberto Romulo Alberto "Bert" Gatmaitan Romulo (born August 7, 1933) is a Filipino politician and diplomat. He served in the Philippines in various capacities as executive secretary, finance secretary, foreign affairs secretary, and budget secretary. His most ...

( LDP), term limited #

Leticia Ramos-Shahani Leticia Valdez Ramos-Shahani (September 30, 1929 – March 20, 2017) was a Filipino senator, diplomat, and writer. She was the younger sister of Fidel V. Ramos, the 12th president of the Philippines. Early life She was born on September ...

( Lakas), term limited, retired from politics

Incumbents running elsewhere

These all won in the 1995 election, and if lost, would have still returned to finish their six-year Senate term. #

Miriam Defensor Santiago Miriam Palma Defensor-Santiago (June 15, 1945 – September 29, 2016) was a Filipino scholar, academic, lawyer, judge, author, stateswoman, and politician who served in all three branches of the Philippine government: judicial, executive, and l ...

( PRP), ran for President of the Philippines and lost #

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Maria Gloria Macaraeg Macapagal-Arroyo (; born April 5, 1947), often referred to as PGMA or GMA, is a Filipino academic and politician who served as the 14th president of the Philippines from Presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 2001 to 2010 ...

( Lakas), ran for Vice President of the Philippines and won #

Raul Roco Raul Sagarbarria Roco (October 26, 1941 – August 5, 2005) was a Filipino politician. He was the founder and presidential nominee of '' Aksyon Demokratiko'', which he founded in 1997 as a vehicle for his presidential bid in 1998 and his second ...

(

Aksyon Aksyon may refer to * ''Aksyon'' (TV program), a defunct Philippine news program by TV5 *Aksyon Demokratiko, a Philippine political party *''Aksyon Ngayon'', a public radio service program of DZMM *Aksyon Radyo, a Philippine radio network owned b ...

), ran for President of the Philippines and lost #

Francisco Tatad Francisco "Kit" Sarmiento Tatad (born October 4, 1939) is a Filipino journalist and politician best known for having served as Minister of Public Information under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from 1969 to 1980, and for serving as a Senat ...

( GAD), ran for Vice President of the Philippines and lost Arroyo's victory in the vice presidential election meant that she would vacate her Senate seat by June 30, 1998.

Results

The

(LAMMP) won seven seats, while the Lakas-NUCD won five. Three incumbents, all from LAMMP, successfully defended their seats:

Blas Ople Blas Fajardo Ople (February 3, 1927 – December 14, 2003) was a Filipino journalist and politician who held several high-ranking positions in the Executive Departments of the Philippines, executive and Congress of the Philippines, legislative b ...

, Ramon Revilla Sr., and

Tito Sotto Vicente Castelo Sotto, III (; born August 24, 1948), is a Filipino politician and television personality who is a Senate of the Philippines, senator-elect of the Philippines. He is the longest-serving senator in the history of the upper chamb ...

. There are five neophyte senators:

Rene Cayetano Renato "Rene" Luna Cayetano (; December 12, 1934 – June 25, 2003), commonly known as Compañero, was a Filipino lawyer, television presenter, journalist, and politician. He served in the Regular Batasang Pambansa, representing the lone distric ...

Loren Legarda Lorna Regina "Loren" Bautista Legarda (born January 28, 1960) is a Filipina politician, environmentalist, cultural worker, and former journalist who is currently serving as a Senator and served as the president pro tempore of the Senate of the ...

, and Robert Barbers of Lakas, and

Robert Jaworski Robert Vincent Salazar Jaworski Sr. (; born March 8, 1946), also known by his nicknames Sonny, Big J, and Jawo (), is a Filipino former professional basketball player, head coach and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines fro ...

and

Tessie Aquino-Oreta Maria Teresa Aquino-Oreta (born Maria Teresa Aquino Aquino; June 28, 1944 – May 14, 2020), better known as Tessie Aquino-Oreta, was a Filipina politician. She was the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture in ...

of LAMMP. Returning senators are

Rodolfo Biazon Rodolfo "Pong" Gaspar Biazon (, April 14, 1935 – June 12, 2023) was a Filipino politician and Philippine Marine Corps general. He was the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in early 1991 and then served as a Senato ...

John Henry Osmeña John Henry Renner Osmeña (January 17, 1935 – February 2, 2021), also known as Sonny Osmeña or simply John Osmeña, was the grandson of Philippines, Philippine President of the Philippines, President Sergio Osmeña. He served as a senator of ...

, and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. of LAMMP, and Teofisto Guingona, Jr. of Lakas.

Freddie Webb Freddie Nelle Webb (born November 24, 1942) is a Filipino retired basketball player and coach, former politician, and television and radio personality. Education He completed his elementary education at San Beda College and his degree in Bach ...

was the sole incumbent defeated. The election of

as Vice President of the Philippines in a concurrent election meant that her Senate seat was vacant until June 30, 2001. Key: * ‡ Seats up * + Gained by a party from another party * √ Held by the incumbent * * Held by the same party with a new senator *^ Vacancy

Per candidate

Per coalition

Per party

Defeated incumbents

( LDP/

), ran as House representative from

Pasay Pasay, officially the City of Pasay (; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Metro Manila, National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 Philippine census, 2020 census, it has a ...

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

and lost

References

External links

The Philippine Presidency Project

Official website of the Commission on Elections

Official website of the House of Representatives
{{Philippine elections

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

1998 elections in the Philippines