Thislist of presidential elections in the Philippines includes election results of both presidential and vice presidential elections since 1899 with the candidates' political party and their corresponding percentage.
There had been 17 direct presidential elections in history: 1935, 1941, 1946, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1981, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2022. When referring to "presidential elections", these 17 are usually the ones being referred to. All of these also included vice presidential elections, except for 1981.
There had also been two indirect elections: 1899 and 1943. Both were elected by the legislature (TheMalolos Congress in 1899 and theNational Assembly in 1943), and both resulted in unanimous and uncontested votes.
There had been two presidential referendums, in July 1973 and 1977. All in all, there had been 21 presidential ballots in Philippine history.
Since 1992, the elections have been held on the second Monday of May and every six years thereafter. The next presidential and vice presidential elections are in May 2028.
During thePhilippine Revolution, several leadership elections for theKatipunan were later on described as precursors of presidential elections. One example of this is theTejeros Convention of 1897, whereEmilio Aguinaldo successfully removed erstwhile Katipunan leaderAndres Bonifacio. From that point on, it was Aguinaldo who would lead the revolution, declare independence from Spain, and convened theMalolos Congress. The Malolos Congress elected Aguinaldo as president on January 1, 1899, passed a constitution on January 22, and Aguinaldo and theFirst Republic was inaugurated on January 23, 1899. The First Republic existed until Aguinaldo's capture by the Americans on March 23, 1901.
The first presidential election by popular vote was on September 15, 1935, after the ratification of the1935 Constitution of the Philippines;Manuel Quezon of theNacionalista Party emerged as the victor, defeating previous presidentEmilio Aguinaldo (Aguinaldo was elected president by theMalolos Congress). As acommonwealth then of the United States, the constitution decreed that the president shall have one term of six years without reelection. In 1940, it was amended to allow one reelection, but with the term shortened to four years; this setup was first used in the second election in 1941 with Quezon being reelected.
However, World War II intervened and thus suspended the elections of 1945. TheEmpire of Japan set up theSecond Philippine Republic that electedJosé P. Laurel as president by theNational Assembly in 1943. After the Japanese were defeated,Congress rescheduled the much-delayed election in 1946.Manuel Roxas of the newly formedLiberal Party won the election a few weeks prior to the granting of independence by the United States. In 1949, the first election for the newly independent republic was held with PresidentElpidio Quirino winning; Quirino succeeded Roxas, who died while in office. Thereafter, elections were held every four years every second Tuesday of November of the election year, with the winning president and vice president inaugurated on December 30 succeeding the election. The alternation between the Nacionalistas and the Liberals characterized an apparenttwo-party system of the Third Republic.
In the operation of the 1935 constitution, there were nine presidential elections; excluding the first election where there were no incumbents, the incumbent was beaten four times (1946, 1953, 1961, 1965), the incumbent won upon ascending to the presidency from a vacancy twice (1949, 1957), and two incumbents won a second term after being elected to a first term as president (1941, 1969).
In 1972, PresidentFerdinand Marcos declared martial law and ruled by decree. At this time, a new constitution was ratified in 1973 in which the office of the vice president being abolished. and that the president shall be elected by theNational Assembly amongst themselves, although once elected, the president will cease to be a member of the National Assembly and any political party (similar to the BritishSpeaker of the House of Commons). With the members of the National Assembly having no term limits, the president may serve indefinitely. Before parliament was elected referendums in1973 and1977 affirmed that Marcos will stay as president and prime minister even after parliament has been organized.
In 1981,via constitutional amendment, the president is again elected via popular vote, with a term of office of six years starting at the thirtieth of June of the year of the election. In the succeeding election onJune 16, 1981 (third Monday of June); Marcos was again elected, with much of the opposition boycotting the election. In addition, the amendment also renamed the National Assembly into itsFilipino translation as "Batasang Pambansa." In 1984,another amendment reinstated the office of the vice president. The election of the vice president is similar to the United States presidential election, in which a vote for the president is also a vote for the vice president, although this was later changed to a separate vote for each position. Marcos'Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement or KBL) won every presidential election of the Fourth Republic until 1986.
In 1986, Marcos called for an early or"snap" election (the next scheduled election was in 1987) and was, including his running mateArturo Tolentino, declared the winners. ThePeople Power Revolution erupted that drove Marcos out of power, andCorazon Aquino, the runner-up, assumed the presidency. A new constitution was ratified in 1987 that was essentially identical with the provisions of the amended 1973 constitution as long as the election of the president and vice president is concerned, with the presidential election occurring at the second Monday of May and the inauguration every June 30 of the election year. The1992 election was the first election under the new constitution and elections are held every six years thereafter.Fidel V. Ramos won the 1992 election with just 23% of the vote, the lowest plurality in history; it also ushered in themulti-party system of the Fifth Republic. Thereafter, no winner has won via a majority, although each has had an increasing percentage of votes with every succeeding election.Joseph Estrada wonin 1998 in what was described as landslide, getting just under 40% of the votes, while second placeJose de Venecia getting 16%. PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo, who succeeded Estrada at the outcome of the2001 EDSA Revolution, was the first sitting president to run, and defeatedFernando Poe, Jr. in the closest margin in history.Benigno Aquino III wonin 2010 with 42% of the vote in what was also called as a landslide, defeating Estrada who had 26% of the vote, and seven others.Rodrigo Duterte won with just under 40% of the vote, but with a 14% margin of victory from second-placerMar Roxasin 2016. In the 2022 election, under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP),Bongbong Marcos won by a landslide and received nearly 59% of the votes, becoming the first to be elected by a majority since the establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1986.
In the operation of the 1987 constitution, incumbents who have in office for more than four years are barred to defend their seats, but all but one (1992) candidate endorsed by the incumbent lost, and one defended the seat after ascending to the presidency (2004).
"Not be later than three days after his proclamation by the National Assembly, nor in any case earlier than the expiration of the term of his predecessor"
Based on the 1935 constitution, from 1935 to 1940, the incumbent president is eligible for one six-year term and cannot be reelected.
In 1940,a plebiscite approved an amendment that set a four-year term for a president, and that a president can be re-elected, but cannot serve for more than an amount of time that is worth two full terms (eight years).
In 1973,a plebiscite adopted a new constitution that abolished term limits, and set up a six-year term for the president.
In 1987,a plebiscite approved a new constitution that set a six-year term with no reelection for the incumbent. A vice president who became president cannot be elected as president if that person served as president for more than four years. As the incumbent president at that time was elected under the 1973 constitution, she was allowed to run anew but chose not to.
Every president who is eligible to run for president ran again, except in 1992 where Corazon Aquino did not run.
Vice presidents who became president upon vacancy of the latter office ran four times, and won as presidents in their own right in 1949, 1957 and 2004, and lost In 1946.
In 1946, 1949 and 1957, no vice president was in office due to the erstwhile officeholder becoming president upon death of the president, and that there was no constitutional mechanism to fill up the office upon vacancy.
In 1981, the constitution had by then abolished the office of the vice president. It was reinstated upona plebiscite in 1984, and the vice presidency was first elected in 1986.
Five vice presidents ran for the presidency after their vice presidential term ended. Two of them won, in 1961, beating the incumbent president, and in 1998. Three of them, in 1992, 2016, and 2022, lost. Two vice presidents ran for another office after their vice presidential term ended; both won: in 1953, the vice president ran and won for senator, finishing first, and in 1965 where the vice president ran for a seat in the House of Representatives. Two vice presidents defended the seat, with both succeeding in 1941 and 1969. Two vice presidents did not pursue other office after their vice presidential term ended.
Political strategists have divided the country into several "corridors" that replicate or combineadministrative regions, which in turn are mostly based from the mainethnic groups. In 1992, prior to the1992 election,Luis Villafuerte outlined several "corridors" throughout the country, from north to south:[1]
Manila, and by extension,Metro Manila when it was created in 1975, has voted for theopposition candidate (or the opponent(s) of the incumbent's party) in the election.
This became apparent in the 1935 election, where it was thought that the opponents of the Nacionalista candidates (as this was the first election, the Nacionalistas were the ruling party of the insular territory) would beat them inManila. The Nacionalistas still prevailed.[2]
After the losing candidate won in Negros Oriental in 2016, the longest streak belongs toAgusan del Norte which had its provincial winner follow the national winner since the1969 election;Lanao del Sur broke its streak when a losing candidate won there in 2022.
^abThe Popular Front was split into two wings: those who supportedPedro Abad Santos or the "Abad Santos wing" and those who supportedJuan Sumulong or the "Sumulong wing".
^The Popular Front was split into two wings: those who supportedPedro Abad Santos or the "Abad Santos wing" and those who supportedJuan Sumulong or the "Sumulong wing".
In 1944, President Quezon died, thereby Vice President Osmeña succeeded him as president. By 1946, the rulingNacionalista Party was split into two, with its liberal wing putting up its own candidate for president in the person ofManuel Roxas. Roxas defeated Osmeña in the election. Roxas's running mateElpidio Quirino defeatedEulogio Rodriguez to win the vice presidency.
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos[3]
^abThe Nacionalista Party was split into two wings: those who supported Osmeña or the "conservative wing", and those who supported Roxas or the "liberal wing". The liberal wing eventually split off after the election and became theLiberal Party.
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos[4]
^abThe Nacionalista Party was split into two wings: those who supported Osmeña or the "conservative wing", and those who supported Roxas or the "liberal wing". The liberal wing eventually split off after the election and became theLiberal Party.
President Roxas died in 1948. Vice PresidentElpidio Quirino succeeded him, and was elected president on his own right in 1949. His running running mate, senatorFernando Lopez won the vice presidential election.
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos[5]
^abThe Liberal Party was split into two wings: those who supported Quirino or the "Quirinitas" or the "Quirino wing", and those who supported Avelino or the "Avelinistas" or the "Avelino wing".
Source: Nohlen, Grotz, Hartmann, Hasall and Santos[6]
^abThe Liberal Party was split into two wings: those who supportedElpidio Quirino or the "Quirinitas" or the "Quirino wing", and those who supportedJose Avelino or the "Avelinistas" or the "Avelino wing".
President Quirino was defeated by formerSecretary of DefenseRamon Magsaysay in 1953 in a record margin post-independence. His running mate, senatorCarlos P. Garcia also resoundingly defeated his opponent.
President Magsaysay died in 1957 a few months before the election. His Vice President,Carlos P. Garcia succeeded him, and was elected president on his own right later that year. The opposition won the vice presidency, withDiosdado Macapagal defeatingJose Laurel Jr.
President Garcia was defeated by Vice PresidentDiosdado Macapagal. This was the only election where the two top office-holders faced each other for the presidency. Macapagal's running mateEmmanuel Pelaez kept the vice presidency under the Liberal Party's hands.
President Marcos became the first president to defend the presidency on his first full term in 1969. Vice president Lopez won an unprecedented third vice presidential term.
By 1972, President Marcos declared martial law. A year later, a plebiscite approved a new constitution that allowed the president to stay in power beyond 1973 as allowed by the previous (1935) constitution. A few months after that, another referendum asked voters if they wanted Marcos to stay in power beyond 1973:
Do you want President Marcos to continue beyond 1973 and finish the reforms he has initiated under the martial law?
In 1977, a referendum approved Marcos staying as president after the Interim Batasang Pambansa was organized a year later.
Do you vote that President Ferdinand E. Marcos continue in office as incumbent president and be prime minister after the organization of the Interim Batasang Pambansa in 1978?
In 1981, President Marcos won in an election that was boycotted by much of the opposition. His winning margin is a record, and his vote total has not been matched to date in a single-winner election.
In 1986, President Marcos called for a special presidential election. He was proclaimed winner despite allegations of massive fraud, but was ousted by the People Power Revolution weeks later. The revolution installed Marcos's opponent,Corazon Aquino, as president and her running mateSalvador Laurel, as vice president.
President Ramos handpicked SpeakerJose de Venecia Jr. as his preferred successor. He was defeated by Vice PresidentJoseph Estrada who had a healthy lead against de Venecia. In the vice presidential election, senatorGloria Macapagal Arroyo also had a clear advantage over Estrada's running mate senatorEdgardo Angara.
In 2001, President Estrada was ousted via the2001 EDSA Revolution due to massive corruption. Vice PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo succeeded him and was elected president on her own right in 2004 against Estrada's friendFernando Poe Jr. Poe died later that year, and by 2005, theHello Garci scandal erupted where Arroyo was seen to have benefitted from massive cheating in the election.
Approaching the 2010 election, President Arroyo was deeply unpopular. HerLakas Kampi CMD party nominated Secretary of DefenseGilbert Teodoro, but rumors persisted that she wanted SenatorManuel Villar to succeed her. In 2009, former president Aquino died, catapulting her son SenatorBenigno Aquino III in the presidential race. Aquino defeated former president Estrada, Villar, Teodoro and several others in the election.
Estrada's running mateMakati mayorJejomar Binay narrowly defeated senatorMar Roxas, the initial presidential nominee who slid down for Aquino.
In 2016, President Aquino's Liberal Party nominated formerSecretary of the Interior and Local GovernmentMar Roxas (President Roxas's grandson) as their presidential candidate. Roxas had previously gave way to Aquino in 2010.Davao City MayorRodrigo Duterte had previously denied running for president, only to have him substituted as PDP-Laban's candidate. Duterte defeated Roxas and three others in the election.
In the vice presidential election, House Representative from Camarines SurLeni Robredo narrowly defeated senator Bongbong Marcos.
The rulingPDP–Laban wassplit into two factions heading into the election. The titular head of one faction, presidentRodrigo Duterte, pushed for the presidential ticket of senatorBong Go and himself. Another faction pushed for the presidential candidacy of senatorManny Pacquiao. In the end, neither faction using the "PDP–Laban" label to avoid complications, withBong Go ultimately withdrawing as a presidential candidate ofPederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan. Sara Duterte, the president's daughter, then ran as the vice presidential running mate of Bongbong Marcos, while the Liberal Party-led opposition chose vice presidentLeni Robredo as its standard bearer.The Marcos–Duterte ticket won in a landslide, and the first majority mandates in the Fifth Republic era.
^Originally ran underPartido para sa Demokratikong Reporma; resigned from the party mid-way through the campaign. Still labeled as a Reporma candidate on the official ballots.
The following are presidential candidates who are below 50 years old in the day of election day and their inauguration day. Emilio Aguinaldo was not included due to being elected indirectly.
Under the 1973 constitution, the president was required to be 50 years old or older. In the 1935 and 1987 constitutions, the president is required to be 40 years old or older.
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