Aquino, Pangilinan join Senate majority bloc

Senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan have officially joined the Senate majority bloc after voting for Senate President Francis Escudero during the opening session of the 20th Congress on Monday, July 28, 2025.

Their decision to join the majority bloc, defying expectations of aligning with opposition lawmaker Senator Risa Hontiveros, was solidified by their vote for the winning Senate president, a common practice in the Senate.

Aquino had previously indicated a leaning towards joining the majority to secure the Committee on Education, a major panel not typically given to minority members.

Pangilinan, who had not expected to win in the 2025 midterm elections, stated he still has much to accomplish as Chair of the Committee on Agriculture, citing his previous work under the late President Benigno Aquino III.

Both senators argued that joining the majority does not preclude them from acting as fiscalizers within the Senate.

Their successful Senate comebacks saw Aquino finish second and Pangilinan fifth in the elections.