It would seem that Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate’s chief orchestrator, Navotas Representative Tobias “Toby” Tiangco, bit off more than he could chew after a failed attempt to unseat Leyte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the current Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Looking at opinion pieces and other published media, it seems that most agree – this was a misstep.
In the May 12, 2025 midterm polls, results broke down to a 5-5-2 split in the Senate. That’s five Senate seats for Alyansa, five for Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (PDP–Laban) and allies of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and two for progressives from the KiBam tandem—Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.
Not a dominant win for any bloc, but enough of a stumble for Alyansa to trigger finger-pointing and internal scrutiny.
And the criticism isn’t just coming from the outside. Alyansa senatorial candidate and returning legislator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who landed 7th this year after previously placing in the top six in his last two Senate runs, said it plainly: “The much-hyped administration machinery, especially during the midterm election,s failed.”
This comment struck a chord with political analysts reviewing the coalition’s messaging and campaign execution.
Some blame the coalition’s lackluster showing on Tiangco’s strategic missteps. Others describe it as a historic underperformance for a sitting administration in a midterm cycle. Historically, the midterms tend to favor the incumbent. In 2019, the Hugpong ng Pagbabago slate, aligned with then-President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, swept nine of the 12 Senate seats.
Back in 2016, under President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III, the Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid secured seven.
Tiangco attributed the setback to the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing it alienated key regional voting blocs. But critics point to his poor read of voter sentiment and inconsistent messaging, particularly in Duterte’s strongholds in Mindanao and parts of Luzon.
That’s why many found it puzzling when Tiangco attempted to remove Speaker Romualdez. Insiders claim he tried to shift blame for Alyansa’s weak performance onto the Speaker, citing Romualdez’s handling of the impeachment as a liability. But others say Tiangco also blocked the release of district funds during the campaign season, further eroding internal support.
In the end, Romualdez held firm. Deputy Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez confirmed that at least 240 House lawmakers signed a manifesto backing Romualdez’s continued speakership, securing his supermajority and dealing Tiangco a definitive defeat.
