LIST: Celebrities, personalities running in 2025 midterm elections

MANILA, Philippines — The 2025 midterm elections officially enters its early stages with the filing of candidacies beginning October 1.

Many politicians are seeking re-election, making a comeback into politics, or running for different positions whether national or local.

Most politicians are recognizable by their names alone, and in a similar vein, celebrities and online personalities are giving the political arena a go — some of whom have been successful and are seeking to maintain public office.

Here is Philstar.com's running list of celebrities and personalities running in the 2025 midterm elections.

Senate

Longtime actor-politician Lito Lapid is seeking reelection for the Senate. This will be his third consecutive term and sixth overall.

Accompanying him in filing was host-comedian and former Senate President Tito Sotto who is planning a return to the Senate following a failed vice-presidential bid in 2022.

Actor Phillip Salvador is giving a senatorial run another go, accompanying incumbent senators Bong Go and Bato dela Rosa — all of them backed by Vice President Sara Duterte and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte — as they seek reelection.

Host-politician Camille Villar, currently the Representative for Las Piñas, is running for the Senate where her mother Cynthia and brother Mark are incumbent members. Her father Manny previously served as the Senate President.

Broadcaster Ben Tulfo is seeking to join his younger brother, incumbent senator Raffy Tulfo, in the upper chamber as he runs as an independent candidate despite receiving invitations to join parties and slates.

Doctor and content creator Willie Ong followed through on his comittment to run for senator again despite an ongoing battle with sarcoma. He previously ran for senator in 2019 and vice-president in 2022, and was unsuccessful both times.

Political vlogger and handler of the "Models of Manila TV" YouTube channel Marc Gamboa is running for Senate, with plans establish an office dedicated to fighting fake news.

Singer Jimmy Bondoc hopes to earn one of the seats in the Senate as he runs in the Duterte-led ticket PDP-Laban. Bondoc, who passed the Bar in 2023, joins action star and Senate hopeful Philip Salvador in the Duterte party. 

House of Representatives

Actor-politician Arjo Atayde is seeking a second term as representative of the first district of Quezon City under the “Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas” party.

Another actor-polition seeking reelection is Leyte's fourth district representative Richard Gomez.

Also seeking reelection are actress Lani Mercado and her son, actor-comedian Jolo Revilla, as the second and first district representatives of Cavite, respectively.

Actor Marco Gumabao is taking a stab at politics as he filed his certificate of candidacy for congressman in Camarines Sur's fourth district, backed by the Villafuerte clan under the National Unity Party.

Party-lists at the House of Representatives

Actor-turned-politician Jeremy Marquez, son of actor-politician Joey Marquez, is the first nominee of Solo Parents partylist.

Social media personality Deo Balbuena, more popularly known as Diwata and the owner of Diwata Pares, is the fourth nominee of Vendors Partylist.

Diwata even quipped that if he's elected into Congress, he would offer "unli pares" and free softdrinks in the House of Representatives.

Pageant veteran and content creator Wilbert Tolentino is the first nominee of Ahon Mahirap Partylist, a lineup that also has filmmaker Noel Escando as its eighth nominee.

Vlogger Norris John Okamoto — whose content is mostly related to motorcyles — is the first nominee of the Lingap Partylist or the Liga ng Pagkakaisang Mahirap (League of the United Poor).

Political TikToker Eli San Fernando is the first nominee of the Kamanggagawa Partylist

Local

Veteran actress Vilma Santos-Recto is making her political comeback as she runs once more for governor of Batangas, with son and fellow actor Luis Manzano as her running-mate.

Actress Lucy Torres-Gomez is seeking reelection as mayor of Ormoc, Leyte, having succeeded her husband the previously mentioned Richard Gomez.

Actor-turned-politican Daniel Fernando is seeking reelection as Bulacan governor, having previously served as its vice governor, a member of the Provincial Board for its second district, and the Kabataang Barangay Chairman of Tabang in Guiguinto.

His running-mate singer-actor Alex Castro is seeking reelection as the province's vice governor, having previously served in Bulacan's Sangguniang Kabataan and Municipal Council (both for Marilao) and was a member of the Provincial Board for its fourth district.

Rapper Michael Pacquiao, the second son of boxer-politician Manny Pacquiao, is eyeing one of the 12 councilor seats in General Santos City as a member of the party his father founded, the People’s Champ Movement.

Actor-politician Alfred Vargas is seeking reelection as councilor in the fifth district of Quezon City, having previously served as its congressman for three terms and prior to that a councilor term for the city's second district.

Actor Enzo Pineda — whose father Enrico previously served in Congress as the representative of 1-Pacman partylist — he filed his certificate of candidacy also for councilor in the fifth district of Quezon City.

Meanwhile in Quezon City's fourth district, actress and former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Ali Forbes filed her COC to run for councilor as an independent candidate.

Actor David Chua is running for councilor in Manila's second district while social media personality and entrepreneur Rosmar Tan is running for councilor in the city's first district as an independent candidate.

Tan previously ran for councilor in Manila's fourth district in 2022 but finished a distant 20th from the six allocated seats.

One individual who is running for councilor in the fourth district of Manila is actor Wendell Ramos, supposedly under the slate of current Tutok to Win Rep. Sam Verzosa who is rumored to run for mayor — meaning he could go up against incumbent mayor Honey Lacuna and former mayor Isko Moreno.

Elsewhere in the Philippine capital, actor-politician Lou Veloso is seeking a third consecutive term as councilor in Manila's sixth district — a position he previously held from 1995 to 2004 and 2007 to 2013.

In between his councilor stints, Veloso had unsuccessful campaigns for the district's congressional position and vice-mayor of Manila.

"It's Showtime" host Ion Perez is vying for a councilor position in Concepcion, Tarlac a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Actress and former Viva Hot Babes member Jaycee Parker is seeking reelection as a councilor in Angeles City, Pampaga.

Actor and businessman Emilio Garcia is running for mayor in Bay, Laguna and was accompanied in his COC filing by Senator Robin Padilla.

Actor-turned-politician and former taekwondo champion Monsour del Rosario is running for Makati vice-mayor as the running-mate of Sen. Nancy Binay, who is looking to succeed her sister Abby as the latter runs for Senate.

Monsour previously served as the councilor (2010-2016) and representative (2016-19) of Makati's first district.

Actor Roi Vinzon filed his certificate of candidacy for board member of Benguet's first district. He previously ran but lost the race for Baguio City council race in 2007.

"Pulang Araw" star Angelu de Leon is aiming for another term as councilor of Pasig City's 2nd district. She joins the ticket led by incumbent Pasig mayor Vico Sotto, who is seeking his last term in office.