Election 2025: Celebrity candidates and where they stand in their bid

Former Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso | Inquirer.net file photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Many Filipino celebrities and public figures submitted their certificates of candidacy last year between October 1 and 8. 

With the 2025 midterm elections officially ending at 7 PM on May 12, celebrities joined millions of voters at polling precincts across the country, hoping to secure positions in government.

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Cebu midterm elections 2025

Some are running for re-election, others are making a political comeback, and a few are trying their luck in new roles—whether at the local or national level.

Here are a few celebrity candidates currently standing in the 2025 midterm elections, based on partial and unofficial results from the Commission on Elections:

ISKO MORENO

Former Manila Mayor Isko Moreno is set to return as ‘Yorme’ as he leads the mayoral seat in Manila City with 413,353 votes.

ARJO ATAYDE

Arjo Atayde is leading the race to become Quezon City First District’s Representative with 69,951 votes.

AIKO MELENDEZ, ALFRED VARGAS, and ENZO PINEDA

In the councilor race for the 5th district of Quezon City, actress Aiko Melendez is in second place with 113,052 votes.

Melendez is followed by actor Alfred Vargas, who has 105,151 votes.

Six councilors will also be elected in Quezon City. Actor Enzo Pineda is currently in seventh place with 80,050 votes.

Angelu de Leon | from her Instagram 

READ: LIST: Celebrities, personalities running for gov’t positions in 2025 elections

ANGELU DE LEON

In the second district of Pasig City, Angelu De Leon is leading among the councilor candidates with 143,679 votes.

ARA MINA

Actress Ara Mina also ran as councilor in the second district, securing only 41,492 votes and placing tenth.

SHAMCEY SUPSUP

Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up Shamcey Supsup-Lee, who ran as councilor of Pasig City’s first district, is at no. 7 with only 32,399 votes.

JHONG HILARIO

Actor and former It’s Showtime host Jhong Hilario, is leading the councilor race in the first district of Makati with 80,205 votes.

MARCO GUMABAO

Actor Marco Gumabao, who ran for congressman of the Camarines Sur fourth District, is in second place with 95,089 votes.

JOAQUIN DOMAGOSO

In the first district of Manila, leading in the councilor race is Joaquin Domagoso, son of Isko Moreno, has received 92,965 votes.

MOCHA USON

In the third district of Manila, Mocha Uson is in 10th place with 24,792 votes.

Lou Veloso | from his FB page

LOU VELOSO

In the sixth district of Manila, veteran actor Lou Veloso is leading as a councilor with 56,703 votes.

MARJORIE BARRETTO 

In the councilor race in Caloocan City’s first district, where six will be elected, Marjorie Barretto is in seventh place with 82,517 votes.

DENNIS PADILLA

In the second district of Caloocan, Dennis Padilla (Baldivia), former husband of Marjorie, who ran for councilor, is in 16th place with 7,480 votes.

ANGELIKA DELA CRUZ

In Malabon, actress Angelika dela Cruz, who ran for vice mayor, is in second place with 42,207 votes, while the leading candidate Edward Nolasco currently has 56,515 votes.

The number of votes cited in this article is according to the COMELEC’s partial and unofficial tally (as of May 13, 2025, 10:54 AM) for the 2025 national and local elections.