2025 Election winners and losers among PH sports personalities
Not every sports personality was triumphant in the 2025 Philippine midterm elections. (L-R) Former UST player Jeric Teng, PBA legend Vergel Meneses, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, PBA great James Yap and former Ateneo Blue Eagle Charo Soriano. –FILE PHOTOS
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MANILA, Philippines — Several sports personalities emerged victorious in their respective bids in the latest partial and unofficial results for the 2025 Philippine midterm elections on Tuesday.
PBA star James Yap is set for his second term as San Juan City first district councilor after earning 18,394 votes in second place at 12:46 p.m. with 100 percent of election returns transmitted from the unofficial results aggregated from Comelec data.
READ: No Senate return for Manny Pacquiao
His fellow basketball player Ervic Vijandre was also reelected as councilor with 17,372 votes in fourth place, while aspirant Renren Ritualo lost and wound up outside the top six with 13,539 votes.
Francis Zamora, a former La Salle basketball star, was re-elected for his third and final term as San Juan Mayor with 57,998 votes, winning over PBA legend Philip Cezar, who only had 8,340 votes.
Former La Salle champion coach Franz Pumaren is set for his second term as Congressman in Quezon City’s third district with 72,706 votes, leading his competitor Allan Reyes by over 16,000 votes from 200 election returns.
PBA legend Vergel Meneses is reelected for his final term as Bulacan, Bulacan Mayor with 26,967 votes, besting Patrick Niel Meneses.
The ex-UST Growling Tigers’ guard Jeric Teng has been proclaimed as Gumaca, Quezon councilor with 14,882 votes in second place with 92.5% of election returns. Former Perpetual player GJ Ylagan is also poised for a seat with 13,004 votes in fifth place.
READ: Jeric Teng to run for councilor in Quezon
“U sincerely thank my beloved fellow citizens for the trust and support you have given me. I will not waste that love you’ve given me,” posted Teng on Instagram.
“I have no other desire but to improve the lives of each and every one and to hasten the progress of our beloved town of Gumaca. You can count on me to perform my duties diligently and work hard as your councilor.”
Teng’s ex-UST teammate Another former UST and PBA player is set to earn a seat as a councilor, as Jervy Cruz is expected to secure a seat as councilor in Nampicuan, Nueva Ecija.
Dodot Jaworski was reelected as Pasig City Vice Mayor with 285,358 votes, holding a huge margin against Iyo Caruncho Bernardo (70,934), joining re-elected mayor and landslide winner Vico Sotto.
Rosalio “Maro” Martirez, the son of the late San Miguel Beer player Yoyong, was second in the councilor race in Pasig’s second district with 137,376 votes.
READ: James Yap, Charo Soriano lead election winners among sports personalities
Converge deputy coach Dennis ‘Delta’ Pineda won the vice governor position in Pampanga with 748,990 votes from 99.72 percent of election returns.
Retired PBA player Gary David was the top councilor in Dinalupihan, Bataan with 44,188 votes.
Former UST men’s volleyball star and Galeries assistant coach Wewe Medina also won a council seat in Orani, Bataan, placing third with 23,323 votes.
Ex-Ateneo Lady Eagle Charo Soriano also topped the councilor race in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan with 39,632 votes.
Former national athlete and sports official Richard Gomez will return as Ormoc City Congressman with 86,957 votes. In the first district of Batangas, ex-national team swimmer and PSC chairman Eric Buhain lost the congressional race.
READ: Charo Soriano runs for councilor in Tuguegarao
Losing bids
Senate bet Manny Pacquiao during a campaign rally.–CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/Wendell Alinea
Several former athletes also lost in their respective bids, including eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, who failed in his Senate return. He is currently in 18th place.
Dondon Hontiveros has already conceded in the Cebu City Mayoral race. Monsour del Rosario also lost his bid for the Makati City Vice Mayor post, while UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rebo Saguisag is currently ninth in his bid for councilor.
Aspirant councilors Bong Alvarez (Manila 3rd District), Ian Alban (Manila 1st District), Bonel Balingit (Cebu City), Danny Ildefonso (Urdaneta, Pangasinan), and Gilbert Malabanan (San Pedro, Laguna) are all trailing in their respective bids.
Partylists 1Pacman, MPBL, and PBA (Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta) are likewise behind in the count.
