After 2022 VP race defeat, Kiko Pangilinan eyes Senate return

MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Kiko Pangilinan formalized his bid for Senate comeback on Tuesday, October 8.

Pangilinan filed his certificate of candidacy for senator, accompanied by wife Sharon Cuneta, at the Manila Hotel. 

This electoral attempt comes after his loss in the 2022 elections to Vice President Sara Duterte and her running mate, now-President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Pangilinan ran under the slate of former Vice President Leni Robredo in the 2022 polls, finishing second in the vice presidential race with 9,329,207 votes.

He currently hosts the TV programs “Hello Pagkain!” on OnePH and “Rekta: Agenda ng Masa” on DZRH and DZRH News Television.

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Prior to his vice presidential attempt, Pangilinan served as a senator.

He first ran for senator in 2001, and three years later, he became the Senate Majority Leader. He was also the majority leader when he was reelected to the Senate in 2007.

In May 2014, he was appointed Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization by late President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, taking charge of four agencies: National Food Authority, National Irrigation Administration, Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority and Philippine Coconut Authority.

He ran for senator anew in 2016, serving as the chairperson for the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes until 2022.