PARTYLIST RACE: Frontrunner Akbayan poised to win maximum seats in Congress

National

DESPITE low rankings in pre-election surveys, the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party is leading the 2025 party list race, garnering votes that may be enough to clinch a maximum three seats in the House of Representatives.

Human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, Akbayan's top nominee, is poised to return to Congress along with the second and third nominees.

As of 12:58 p.m. on Tuesday, with 97.2 percent of election returns transmitted, Akbayan had received 2,749,857 votes — equivalent to 6.71 percent of the total votes cast for party list groups.

This marks Akbayan’s strongest showing since 2004, when it last secured three seats through representatives Etta Rosales, Mario Aguja, and Risa Hontiveros. The group, one of the original party list organizations to gain congressional seats in 1998, had only missed representation once in 2019.

In a statement, Diokno expressed gratitude for the public’s overwhelming support, stating that the opposition will now have a “louder voice” in Congress — one that will fight for sovereignty, democracy, and the interests of marginalized sectors.

In a notable turn in 2022, Akbayan filled the final party list seat after the Supreme Court upheld the Commission on Elections’ cancellation of An Waray’s registration.

Akbayan is also known as the political base of Senator Risa Hontiveros, who was the lone opposition winner in the 2022 Senate race.

Along with Akbayan, five other incumbent party lists have secured at least one seat each: Duterte Youth ( 2,298,760 votes or 5.61 percent) Tingog (1,787,233 votes or 4.36 percent) 4PS – (1,434,178 votes or 3.5 percent) ACT-CIS (1,221,669 votes or 2.98 percent) Ako Bicol (1,061,175 votes or 2.59 percent).

According to initial tallies, only Akbayan, Duterte Youth, Tingog, and 4PS are expected to win the full three seats. ACT-CIS is projected to receive two.

In 2022, ACT-CIS topped the race with 2.1 million votes and won three seats, fronted by journalist Erwin Tulfo.

Around 50 party lists are expected to gain seats in the upcoming 20th Congress, which opens in July.

Struggles for Progressive Groups

Left-leaning Makabayan bloc parties faced setbacks, with only ACT Teachers (0.85 percent, 34th) and Kabataan (percent, 40th) likely to win seats.

Gabriela, which currently holds a seat, is at risk of losing it, ranking 55th with 253, 686 or 0.62 percent of the votes.

Meanwhile, Bayan Muna fell to 76th with only 160,369 votes (0.39 percent) votes.

This places Bayan Muna in danger of being delisted by the Commission on Elections for failing to win seats in both 2022 and 2025, which could disqualify it from joining the 2028 elections.

Bayan Muna attributed its decline to targeted attacks and red-tagging by state forces, particularly the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.

“The vilification, red-tagging, harassment, fake news, and disinformation campaigns targeted against us only exposed the desperation of those in power to silence the voice of dissent and suppress the will of the marginalized,” the group said per a report by Inquirer.net.(Christine A. Ople, CTU-TC Intern)