KiBam
KiBam, also known as Kiko–Bam, was the umbrella of the opposition-backed candidacies of former senators Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino for the 2025 Philippine Senate election. Led by the Liberal Party, the coalition was formed on November 9, 2024, and includes the Akbayan and Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino parties.
Aquino and Pangilinan were both elected, placing second and fifth respectively, despite consistently ranking outside the top 12 in pre-election surveys. Both candidates secured substantial support from vote-rich regions, with Aquino dominating the Lingayen–Lucena corridor, including Calabarzon, Central Luzon, and Metro Manila, while Pangilinan also performed strongly in populous Luzon provinces and major Metro Manila cities, offsetting weaker results in Mindanao.
Background
Formation
At a forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines on February 22, 2024, Liberal Party spokesperson and former senator Leila de Lima announced that the party plans to field former senators Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan, as well as human rights lawyer Chel Diokno of the Katipunan ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino, as its senatorial candidates in the upcoming election. Aquino confirmed his bid for the Senate on May 14 after being appointed as the chairman of KANP. While former vice president and 2022 presidential candidate Leni Robredo was floated as a possible candidate, Robredo ruled out a bid for the Senate and instead announced a 2025 [Naga, Camarines Sur, local elections|run for the mayoralty of Naga, Camarines Sur], though the party remained keen in drafting Robredo for its Senate ticket.Former senator Antonio Trillanes, who ran under TRoPa in the 2022 Senate election, proposed that the Liberal Party and its allies "set aside sensitivities for a larger cause" and align with the Marcos administration in the Senate race to ensure "obliteration of the Duterte forces". Then-party president Edcel Lagman was also open to such arrangement. Political pundits suggest that such a coalition would provide the opposition with more resources during the campaign but may alienate "many groups in the opposition camp who are ideologically opposed to any alliance with other political groups". De Lima disapproved of Trillanes' proposal, emphasizing the need to adhere to the party's principles as a political opposition and identity as "the alternative to the Marcos bloc and the Duterte bloc". Senator Risa Hontiveros concurred with de Lima, stating that while she respects Trillanes's proposition, such an alliance would not form a "genuine opposition".
Announcement
On September 20, the Liberal Party announced Pangilinan's candidacy for senator. Aquino and Pangilinan then launched their "Mga Kaibigan" campaign on October 16 at the Bahay ng Alumni at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with Hontiveros serving as their campaign manager. At a campaign event in Bulacan, in November 2024, their campaign adopted the name "KiBam", a portmanteau of their names.Campaign
Launch and initial activities
The campaign officially launched on February 11, 2025, with a morning Mass at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice, located on the University of the Philippines Diliman campus in Quezon City. The event was attended by key opposition figures, including former vice president Leni Robredo, Akbayan representative Perci Cendaña, and Akbayan 2025 [Philippine House of Representatives elections|representative candidate] Chel Diokno.File:Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, Franklin Drilon, and Bam Aquino.jpg|thumb|Hontiveros and Franklin Drilon endorse Pangilinan and Aquino in Iloilo City, March 6, 2025
Following the mass, Pangilinan and Aquino conducted house-to-house visits. The day concluded with a campaign rally at the Dasmariñas City Arena in Dasmariñas, Cavite, a province with a significant voter base. The rally featured performances by celebrities, including Sharon Cuneta, and endorsements from political figures aligned with the opposition.
Grassroots and digital engagement
The campaign employs a grassroots approach, encapsulated in the "Mga Kaibigan" initiative, aimed at uniting Filipinos around their platform.Additionally, "KiBam" has a strong digital media presence, utilizing online rallies, livestreams, and social media campaigns to reach a broader audience, particularly the youth and overseas Filipino workers. Pangilinan has vowed to create and post potentially viral media content, stating that "the campaign should not be too serious".
"Pink wave" association
Pangilinan and Aquino are associated with the "pink wave", a movement that emerged during the 2022 elections in support of reform-oriented politics. By aligning with Leni Robredo and other figures associated with this movement, the campaign seeks to mobilize support from Filipinos advocating for change, good governance, and social justice.Political positions
Impeachment of Sara Duterte
In case the two candidates win and form part of the Senate's impeachment court of Vice President Sara Duterte, they vowed to be fair judges in Duterte's trial. During an earlier interview, Aquino stated that the impeachment was an issue of politicians and not Filipinos, and that his focus is on the welfare of the people.Domestic policies
The "KiBam" campaign is centered on governance reforms and economic recovery, with a specific focus on:- Food security and agriculture – Advocated by Pangilinan, highlighting support for farmers and fisherfolk.
- Education and youth employment – Led by Aquino, focusing on the continuation of free college education and job creation for young Filipinos.
- Social justice and transparent governance – Promoting policies aimed at good governance, accountability, and democratic reforms.
Results
Both Aquino and Pangilinan won. According to the official results of the 2025 Senate election by the Commission on Elections, Aquino placed second overall with about 20.97 million votes, while Pangilinan finished fifth with around 15.34 million votes. Political analysts and strategists have described their victories as upsets as both candidates consistently placed outside the top 12 in pre-election surveys.Both candidates performed well in the country's most vote-rich regions. Aquino topped the entire Lingayen–Lucena corridor, amassing about 10.8 million votes there over Senator Bong Go's 8.9 million from that area. One analyst noted it was essentially a "clean sweep" for Aquino in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, which together contain the three largest voting populations in the country. In Metro Manila, Aquino was the leading senator in major cities: he ranked first in Manila, Pasig, Quezon City, and Taguig.
Pangilinan likewise performed strongly across Luzon's populous provinces, though usually a few ranks lower than Aquino. According to official results, Pangilinan still made the "winners' circle" in 9 of the 10 highest-voter provinces. For example, he placed 4th in his home province of Cavite, the most vote-rich province. He took 2nd in Batangas and Iloilo, 3rd in Laguna, and landed among the top five in Bulacan, Negros Occidental, Pampanga, and Rizal. In Metro Manila's largest cities, Pangilinan consistently landed in the top tier as well: 2nd in Pasig; 3rd in Caloocan, Manila, and Quezon City. Analysts have attributed these to endorsements from popular local officials in those areas. Pangilinan fell short in Mindanao, where DuterTen candidates were mostly popular: for instance, he failed to enter the top 12 in Davao City, the Duterte family's hometown. Aquino similarly lagged in Mindanao, placing around 14th in that island group with about 2.2 million votes; both Aquino and Pangilinan have been critical of former president Rodrigo Duterte's policies. However, their Luzon vote haul was large enough to offset these deficits in Mindanao.