This list of presidential elections in the Philippines includes election results of both presidential and vice presidential elections since 1899 with the candidates' political party and their corresponding percentage.
The offices of the president and vice president are elected separately; hence a voter may split their vote. The candidate with the highest number of votes wins the position.
There had been 17 direct presidential elections in history: 1935, 1941, 1946, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1981, 1986, 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2022. When referring to "presidential elections", these 17 are usually the ones being referred to. All of these also included vice presidential elections, except for 1981.
There had also been two indirect elections: 1899 and 1943. Both were elected by the legislature (The Malolos Congress in 1899 and the National Assembly in 1943), and both resulted in unanimous and uncontested votes.
There had been two presidential referendums, in July 1973 and 1977. All in all, there had been 21 presidential ballots in Philippine history.
Since 1992, the elections have been held on the second Monday of May and every six years thereafter. The next presidential and vice presidential elections are in May 2028.
History During the Philippine Revolution, several leadership elections for the Katipunan were later on described as precursors of presidential elections. One example of this is the Tejeros Convention of 1897, where Emilio Aguinaldo successfully removed erstwhile Katipunan leader Andres Bonifacio. From that point on, it was Aguinaldo who would lead the revolution, declare independence from Spain, and convened the Malolos Congress. The Malolos Congress elected Aguinaldo as president on January 1, 1899, passed a constitution on January 22, and Aguinaldo and the First Republic was inaugurated on January 23, 1899. The First Republic existed until Aguinaldo's capture by the Americans on March 23, 1901.
The first presidential election by popular vote was on September 15, 1935, after the ratification of the 1935 Constitution of the Philippines; Manuel Quezon of the Nacionalista Party emerged as the victor, defeating previous president Emilio Aguinaldo (Aguinaldo was elected president by the Malolos Congress). As a commonwealth then of the United States, the constitution decreed that the president shall have one term of six years without reelection. In 1940, it was amended to allow one reelection, but with the term shortened to four years; this setup was first used in the second election in 1941 with Quezon being reelected.
However, World War II intervened and thus suspended the elections of 1945. The Empire of Japan set up the Second Philippine Republic that elected José P. Laurel as president by the National Assembly in 1943. After the Japanese were defeated, Congress rescheduled the much-delayed election in 1946. Manuel Roxas of the newly formed Liberal Party won the election a few weeks prior to the granting of independence by the United States. In 1949, the first election for the newly independent republic was held with President Elpidio Quirino winning; Quirino succeeded Roxas, who died while in office. Thereafter, elections were held every four years every second Tuesday of November of the election year, with the winning president and vice president inaugurated on December 30 succeeding the election. The alternation between the Nacionalistas and the Liberals characterized an apparent two-party system of the Third Republic.
In the operation of the 1935 constitution, there were nine presidential elections; excluding the first election where there were no incumbents, the incumbent was beaten four times (1946, 1953, 1961, 1965), the incumbent won upon ascending to the presidency from a vacancy twice (1949, 1957), and two incumbents won a second term after being elected to a first term as president (1941, 1969).
In 1972, President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law and ruled by decree. At this time, a new constitution was ratified in 1973 in which the office of the vice president being abolished. and that the president shall be elected by the National Assembly amongst themselves, although once elected, the president will cease to be a member of the National Assembly and any political party (similar to the British Speaker of the House of Commons). With the members of the National Assembly having no term limits, the president may serve indefinitely. Before parliament was elected referendums in 1973 and 1977 affirmed that Marcos will stay as president and prime minister even after parliament has been organized.
In 1981, via constitutional amendment, the president is again elected via popular vote, with a term of office of six years starting at the thirtieth of June of the year of the election. In the succeeding election on June 16, 1981 (third Monday of June); Marcos was again elected, with much of the opposition boycotting the election. In addition, the amendment also renamed the National Assembly into its Filipino translation as "Batasang Pambansa." In 1984, another amendment reinstated the office of the vice president. The election of the vice president is similar to the United States presidential election, in which a vote for the president is also a vote for the vice president, although this was later changed to a separate vote for each position. Marcos' Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (New Society Movement or KBL) won every presidential election of the Fourth Republic until 1986.
In 1986, Marcos called for an early or "snap" election (the next scheduled election was in 1987) and was, including his running mate Arturo Tolentino, declared the winners. The People Power Revolution erupted that drove Marcos out of power, and Corazon Aquino, the runner-up, assumed the presidency. A new constitution was ratified in 1987 that was essentially identical with the provisions of the amended 1973 constitution as long as the election of the president and vice president is concerned, with the presidential election occurring at the second Monday of May and the inauguration every June 30 of the election year. The 1992 election was the first election under the new constitution and elections are held every six years thereafter. Fidel V. Ramos won the 1992 election with just 23% of the vote, the lowest plurality in history; it also ushered in the multi-party system of the Fifth Republic. Thereafter, no winner has won via a majority, although each has had an increasing percentage of votes with every succeeding election. Joseph Estrada won in 1998 in what was described as landslide, getting just under 40% of the votes, while second place Jose de Venecia getting 16%. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who succeeded Estrada at the outcome of the 2001 EDSA Revolution, was the first sitting president to run, and defeated Fernando Poe, Jr. in the closest margin in history. Benigno Aquino III won in 2010 with 42% of the vote in what was also called as a landslide, defeating Estrada who had 26% of the vote, and seven others. Rodrigo Duterte won with just under 40% of the vote, but with a 14% margin of victory from second-placer Mar Roxas in 2016. In the 2022 election, under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Bongbong Marcos won by a landslide and received nearly 59% of the votes, becoming the first to be elected by a majority since the establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1986.
In the operation of the 1987 constitution, incumbents who have in office for more than four years are barred to defend their seats, but all but one (1992) candidate endorsed by the incumbent lost, and one defended the seat after ascending to the presidency (2004).
Summary Manner of electionConstitutionTerm of serviceReelectionElection dayInaugurationElections implementedPresidentVice presidentMajority of the members of the Malolos CongressnoneMalolos ConstitutionFour yearsNoneJanuary 1January 231899Popular votePopular vote1935 ConstitutionSix yearsNoSecond Tuesday of November December 301935Popular votePopular vote1935 Constitution as amendedFour yearsOnceSecond Tuesday of November December 301941, 1946, 1949, 1953, 1957, 1961, 1965, 1969Majority of the members of the National Assemblynone1943 ConstitutionSix yearsNovaries December 301943Majority of the members of the National Assemblynone1973 ConstitutionSix yearsUnlimitedvaries"Not be later than three days after his proclamation by the National Assembly, nor in any case earlier than the expiration of the term of his predecessor"NonePopular votenone1973 Constitution as amendedSix yearsUnlimitedSecond Tuesday of June June 301981Popular voteTogether with the president1973 Constitution as amendedSix yearsUnlimitedAs provided by law June 30NonePopular votePopular vote1973 Constitution as amendedSix yearsUnlimitedAs provided by law June 30NonePopular votePopular voteBatas Pambansa Bilang 883Six yearsUnlimitedFebruary 7, 1986"Ten days after proclamation by the Batasang Pambansa" (February 25, 1986)1986Popular votePopular vote1987 ConstitutionSix yearsNo for the incumbent presidentSecond Monday of May June 301992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016, 2022
Results summary Boldface: Incumbent Italics: Nominee of the ruling party, or supported by the incumbent Only candidates from third parties whose votes surpassed the margin between the winner and the best loser are included. +YearTypePresident-electIncumbent won?Total candidatesVice president-electIncumbent won?Total candidatesWinners came from the same ticket?1899IndirectEmilio Aguinaldo11935DirectManuel L. Quezon3Sergio Osmeña31941DirectManuel L. Quezon8Sergio Osmeña51943IndirectJose P. Laurel11946DirectManuel Roxas3Elpidio Quirino31949DirectElpidio Quirino3Fernando Lopez31953DirectRamon Magsaysay3Carlos P. Garcia21957DirectCarlos P. Garcia7Diosdado Macapagal51961DirectDiosdado Macapagal6Emmanuel Pelaez41965DirectFerdinand Marcos12Fernando Lopez61969DirectFerdinand Marcos12Fernando Lopez41973ReferendumFerdinand Marcos1977ReferendumFerdinand Marcos1981DirectFerdinand Marcos131986DirectFerdinand Marcos4Arturo Tolentino41992DirectFidel V. Ramos7Joseph Estrada71998DirectJoseph Estrada10Gloria Macapagal Arroyo92004DirectGloria Macapagal Arroyo5Noli de Castro42010DirectBenigno Aquino III9Jejomar Binay82016DirectRodrigo Duterte5Leni Robredo62022DirectBongbong Marcos10Sara Duterte9
For president