Politics as performance: How star power still wins votes in Philipppines
MANILA, Philippines — From Fernando Poe Jr. nearly clinching the presidency to former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo drawing strength from her resemblance to film icon Nora Aunor, Philippine politics has long been entwined with show business.
Despite this trend being memed to death on the internet, it is pervasive. In the 2025 midterm elections, media personality Erwin Tulfo secured a Senate seat, joining his brother, broadcaster-turned-lawmaker Raffy Tulfo, and actor-turned-senator Robin Padilla in the 20th Congress.
A 2015 study suggested that voters with lower income and education levels are more likely to support celebrity candidates for the presidency and vice presidency—a belief that remains widespread.
The phenomenon is not limited to the Philippines: former U.S. President Donald Trump came from reality television, while Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy was a comedian before taking office. But the scale in the Philippines is especially pronounced.
“Politics in the country is deeply based on personality,” sociologist Athena Charanne Presto told Philstar.com.
Presto traced the roots of celebrity politics in the Philippines back to traditional campaign sorties in town plazas. Back then, it wasn’t enough for a candidate to only bring their platform to the stage. To draw a crowd, candidates would often bring entertainers—singers, dancers and actors.
Now, politicians can do the entertaining aspects themselves.
"In this space where it's very fertile for Filipino celebrities and entertainers to be campaigning because of name recall, you also have traditional politicians now being forced to compete at that level," Presto said.
In some cases, celebrities come from political dynasties, further amplifying their visibility and name recognition.
Relatability over policy
For many voters, name recall is only part of the story. Celebrities often present themselves as relatable, in contrast to traditional lawmakers who speak in complex policy terms.
After all, it was a celebrity’s job to learn how to portray themselves as one of the people. Presto expplained how they were a far cry from the lawmakers in Congress who primarily speak in policy languages.
Voters who don’t experience tangible gains from straight-talking, non-celebrity politicians may turn to candidates who seem more accessible, even if they lack deep policy expertise.
“They do not see the governance gains in the long term from politicians who are not necessarily from the entertainment sector,” Presto said.
A double-edged sword
While the election of unqualified celebrities is a valid concern, Presto said there may also be an upside.
In her research on political participation, Presto has observed how political fandom is evolving. Some voters now engage with politicians in the same way they do with pop culture idols—creating fan edits and building parasocial connections.
“It brings politics closer to the people, it becomes less intimidating, and it also opens up more inclusive ways of policy making and lawmaking,” she said.
With celebrities' transition to politics, the space for people to participate in politics expands. But whether that expansion leads to deeper civic involvement or merely reshapes politics into another form of spectacle remains an open question.
In a system driven by personality and performance, as scholars suggest, the rise of celebrity lawmakers may say less about who runs for office—and more about what voters are ultimately looking for.
A sure strategy?
While celebrity status has been a common strategy in Philippine politics, it does not guarantee a winner.
Look no further than the 2025 midterm polls, which showed a dismal performance from entertainers such as TV host Willie Revillame and singer Jimmy Bondoc in the senatorial race.
Even on the local level, many celebrities lost their bid. Host Luis Manzano lost the vice gubernatorial despite running alongside his mother, actress turned Batangas Governor Vilma Santos.
While many are taking this as a sign of voter preference moving away from celebrities, Presto, in a separate interview, cautioned against this line of thinking. The line between politicians and celebrities have blurred, with many politicians themselves becoming influencers on the internet. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself would vlog, using Tiktok and Youtube.
This story was produced in collaboration with Probe Productions and Probe Archives, in partnership with The International Media Support. Editorial decisions were made independently by The Philstar.com newsroom.
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