One for the Guinness: The siblings' Senate

Once the Twentieth Senate convenes on July 28, the whole nation will see the spectacle of four sets of siblings: senators Jinggoy and JV, senators Raffy and Erwin, (Ben could have been the third) senators Pia and Alan Peter and senators Mark and Camille. Unprecedented. unparalleled and has absolutely no such thing in any of the 200 countries all over the world. Sui Generis.

One-third of the entire Philippine Senate is controlled by only four families. That is democracy, Philippine style. The tiny city of Las Piñas whose population is smaller than one large barangay, is represented by two members of only one family, the Villars. The small city of Taguig is represented by a brother and a sister from the House of the Cayetanos. The microscopic city of San Juan is represented by two half-brothers, Jinggoy and JV. And the TV network and broadcast world is represented by senators Raffy and Erwin Tulfo. Had Ben won, there would have been three from one House of the Tulfos.

The only one in all history of the entire humankind. The only one all over the world. There is no other legislative body, no parliament and no House of Lords or House of Commons anywhere from America to Zimbabwe, from Australia to Zambia, where four sets of siblings are sitting side by side in the same chamber. The whole Philippine population of 116,819,188 as of July 15, 2025 according to the Worldometers elaboration of the UN population data as well as the Philippine Statistics Authority's estimate, the whole nation is being represented by only four families.

That, while Cebu's 5 million people have zero representation. Neither Iloilo, nor Bohol, nor the bigger provinces. There is no equal representation, as of today. Which reminds us of that era in our history when senators were elected by senatorial districts. The members of Martial Law's Batasan Pambansa were elected by region. In the US, there are always two senators from each of the 50 states, whether as big as Texas or California or as small as Hawaii and Vermont.

The only brothers I recall in the history of the Philippine Senate were Don Filemon and Don Vicente Sotto from the distinguished province of Cebu. But they were not elected at the same time. Don Filemon was elected in the fourth and fifth legislatures starting in 1916. His brother Don Vicente was elected in the second Commonwealth Congress starting in 1936. Thus, there was a gap of 30 years between their respective stints. They both distinguished themselves in the legislature but in their own respective times.

Tito Sotto, a direct grandson of Don Vicente, was elected senator and reelected from the ninth to the twelfth Congress from 1992 to 1998. He ran and was elected and re-elected once more in 2010 to 2016 in the fifteenth to eighteenth Congress. Then, he won again last May 12, and will sit in the twentieth Congress from 2025 to 2031. We cannot consider the Sottos as equal to the Villars, Cayetanos, Estrada/Ejercitos and the Tulfos. The Sottos know the meaning of delicadeza.

Don Sergio Osmeña Sr. was elected three times, in 1922, 1928 and 1934 in the ninth and tenth Legislature. His son, Serging Osmeña Jr. was elected senator in 1965 in the sixth up to the seventh Congress. Sonny Osmeña, the grandson of Don Sergio, and brother of former Cebu governor Lito, was elected senator four times: in 1971 just before Marcos' Martial law abolished Congress in 1972. After EDSA, Sonny was elected again in 1987, reelected in 1992 and then in 1998.

Serge Osmeña, the son of Serging, brother of Cebu City mayor, now vice mayor Tomas, and grandson of Don Sergio, was elected three times: in 1995, 2001 and 2010. There was a time when Sonny and Serge were in the same Senate. But they are cousins and not brothers unlike the Tulfos, the Estradas/Ejercitos. The Osmenas also know the meaning of delicadeza.

There were fathers and sons, mothers and sons but they did not sit at the same time. Alauya Alonto was senator in 1941 and due to the second world war, assumed office in 1945. His son, Domocao Alonto was elected in 1955. Ed Angara was elected senator in 1987, 1992, 2001 and 2007. His son, Sonny, became senator in 2013 and in 2019, then appointed as Dep-Ed secretary.

Gaudencio Antonino was elected in 1961 and died on the eve of the election. He was replaced 24 hours before election by his wife, Magnolia who was elected in 1967.

Benigno Aquino Sr was elected senator in 1928. His son, Ninoy was elected in 1967. Ninoy's brother, Butch was elected in 1987 after Ninoy died in 1983. Tessie Aquino Oreta was elected senator in 1998. Nonynoy Aquino, Ninoy's son who became president, was earlier elected senator in 2007. Bam Aquino, Ninoy's nephew, was elected in 2013 and then came back in 2025.

Rene Cayetano was elected in 1998, Pia was elected four times, in 2004, 2010, 2019 and 2025. Alan Peter became senator three times, in 2007, 2013, and in 2022.Ramon Diokno was elected senator in 1946 and his son, Jose W was elected in 1963 and 1969. The grandson, Chel, is now a party-list congressman. Erap Estrada was elected in 1987, while his son Jinggoy was elected three times, in 2004, 2010 and 2022. Erap's wife, Dra Loi was elected in 2001 and her son with Erap, JV was elected twice in 2013 and 2022. There was a time when Jinggoy was sitting with her mom, Dra Loi.

Teopisto Guingona Sr was senator in 1920, Teopisto Jr in 1992 and 1998. The grandson, TG was elected in 2010. Don Jose P Laurel was senator in 1925 and 1951. His son Salvador was elected to the senate in 1967, and later became vice president in 1986, The other son, Sotero was elected senator in 1987. Don Vicente Madrigal was senator in 1941 and 1947. His daughter, Pacita M. Warns, was elected in 1955. His granddaughter, Jamby was elected in 2004.

Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was elected senator in 1959. BBM was elected in 2010 and Imee was elected in 2019 and reelected in 2025. Nene Pimentel was elected in 1987, 1998 and 2004. Koko, the son, became senator after his protest against Zubiri in 2011, elected in 2013 and in 2019. Don Claro Recto was senator in 1931, 1941, 1952, 1955. His grandson Ralph was elected in 2001, 2010 and 2016.

Ramon Revilla Sr. was elected senator in 1992 and 1998. His son, Bong in 2004, 2010 and 2019. He lost in 2025. Don Manuel Roxas was a senator in 1941. His son, Gerry was elected senator in 1963 and 1969. His grandson, Mar became senator in 2004. Lorenzo Tanada was senator in 1953, 1959 and 1965. His son Wigberto was elected in 1987 and 1992. Manny Villar was senator in 2001 and 2007. The wife Cynthia was elected in 2013 and 2019. Mar was elected in 2022 and Camille in 2025. Tecla Ziga, the first female bar topnotcher, was elected senator in 1963. Her son Victor became senator in 1987.

Only in the Philippines can Congress become a virtual family corporation. This country is ruled by only a few family dynasties. As long as this is not reversed, this nation can never be great again.