RECENT pre-election surveys indicate a significant shift in the Philippine political landscape, with media celebrities poised to secure a substantial number of Senate seats in the upcoming May 2025 elections. According to data from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), if current trends persist, 11 out of the 24 Senate seats could be occupied by popular figures from the news, entertainment, and sports sectors.
Notably, incumbents such as actors Robin Padilla and Jinggoy Estrada, along with broadcaster and YouTuber Raffy Tulfo, are expected to retain their positions. News broadcasters Erwin and Ben Tulfo (Raffy Tulfo’s brothers) and former Senate President (and former TV comedian) Vicente Sotto III are leading in recent Pulse Asia surveys, with over 50% of respondents expressing support for their candidacies.
This trend underscores a growing voter preference for candidates with a strong media presence and public recognition, challenging traditional notions of political qualifications. Yet, instead of reckoning with this reality, Filipino liberals continue to react with frustration, repeating the same tired complaint: Why do we keep electing actors and artists into the Senate?
This reaction isn’t just condescending — it’s politically shortsighted. The assumption that actors are inherently unqualified ignores both the nature of electoral politics and the reality that voters aren’t looking for policy technicians; they’re looking for leaders who resonate with them. By refusing to adapt to this political psyche, Filipino liberals widen the gap between their brand of politics and the mass electorate, leaving a vacuum that conservatives and populists readily exploit.
It’s time to rethink this outdated, elitist view. The problem isn’t that actors enter politics — it’s that Filipino liberals refuse to understand why they win.
POLITICS IS ABOUT POWERThere’s a common misconception that senators should be policy experts. In truth, legislative work is a collective effort, involving legal teams, think tanks, and technical advisors. What matters in electoral politics isn’t whether a candidate can draft a bill from scratch but whether they have the influence and political capital to push policies forward.
This is why actors and media personalities make effective politicians: they already understand how to communicate, how to command public attention, and how to shape narratives. These are essential political skills — arguably more crucial in a democracy than technical expertise.
This isn’t a uniquely Filipino phenomenon either. Around the world, actors have transitioned into politics and left significant legacies.
In the US, Ronald Reagan evolved from an actor to the Governor of California before becoming one of the most impactful US presidents. Arnold Schwarzenegger similarly leveraged his fame to win California’s governorship, where he championed bipartisan policies on climate change and infrastructure. In the UK, Oscar-winning actress Glenda Jackson became a Labor MP, advocating fiercely for social justice and public housing. Meanwhile, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, once a comedian portraying a fictional president, now leads Ukraine through one of the most consequential wars of the 21st century.
None of these figures were dismissed outright for their backgrounds in entertainment. They were instead evaluated on their ability to mobilize public support and navigate power structures. Filipino liberals, in contrast, still cling to a narrow definition of “qualification” that isolates them from the realities of electoral politics.
HOW CONSERVATIVES EXPLOIT THIS LIBERAL BLIND SPOTThis elitist attitude does more than alienate voters — it also plays right into the hands of conservative populists. By positioning themselves as the defenders of “serious” politics, liberals reinforce the idea that they are disconnected from ordinary Filipinos, while populists and right-wing figures brand themselves as the true representatives of the people.
UP Diliman research conducted by Dave Centeno on parasocial relationships — where audiences develop one-sided emotions and bonds with celebrities — suggests that these figures resonate with voters because they feel personally connected to them. A study on Philippine political campaigns found that celebrities bring an added level of emotional engagement that traditional politicians struggle to replicate.
This is exactly how figures like Donald Trump weaponized mass appeal against political elites in the US. His critics mocked his reality TV background, but that same media savvy made him an unstoppable force in modern politics. The more traditional politicians dismissed him, the more he gained credibility as an anti-elite figure.
In the Philippines, conservatives and populists use a similar strategy. Every time a liberal intellectual scoffs at an actor running for Senate, it feeds the narrative that the opposition is a club for the privileged few — disconnected from the masses and allergic to popular culture.
STOP COMPLAINING AND START ADAPTINGIf Filipino liberals want to remain relevant, they need to stop looking down on the electorate and start learning how to engage with them. Instead of dismissing celebrity candidates outright, they should be asking: What makes these figures resonate with voters? How can we harness the same emotional and cultural power in our own political messaging?
Filipino liberals need to abandon the lazy complaint that actors shouldn’t be in politics. Electoral politics is about power, influence, and decision-making — not just drafting bills. The real question isn’t whether actors should run, but why liberal candidates fail to match their appeal.
If liberals continue to operate within an intellectual bubble, they will keep losing elections and ceding ground to populists. The challenge isn’t to shame voters into rejecting celebrities — it’s to meet them where they are, understand what moves them, and build a political movement that embraces both competence and charisma.
Jam Magdaleno is a political communications expert and the head of the Information & Communications unit at the Foundation for Economic Freedom, a Philippine-based policy think tank.
