1998 Philippine Senate election

← 1995 May 11, 1998 2001 →
12 (of the 24) seats in the Senate 13 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Teofisto Guingona Marcelo Fernan Party Lakas LDP Alliance Lakas LAMMP Seats won 5 7 Popular vote 93,261,379 91,421,394 Percentage 45.4% 44.5
Senate President before election Neptali Gonzales LDP Elected Senate President Marcelo Fernan LDP

The 1998 election of members to the Senate of the Philippines was the 26th election to the Senate of the Philippines. It was held on Monday, May 11, 1998 to elect 12 of the 24 seats in the Senate. The two main competing coalitions in the senatorial election were Lakas—National Union of Christian Democrats—United Muslim Democrats of the Philippines and the Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino umbrella coalition composed of Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, Nationalist People's Coalition, and Partido Demokratiko Pilipino—Lakas ng Bayan. The two coalitions split the 12 contested seats 7–5 in favor of LAMMP.

Candidates

The two major presidential candidates, House Speaker Jose C. de Venecia Jr. of Lakas—NUCD—UMDP and Vice President Joseph E. Estrada of LAMMP presented full 12-person senatorial slates.

Former National Defense Secretary Renato de Villa's Partido ng Demokratikong Reporma—Lapiang Manggagawa, Santiago Dumlao's Kilusan para sa Pambansang Pagpapanibago, and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim's Liberal Party also presented senatorial slates.

Oliver Lozano was the sole independent not included in senatorial slates who was allowed to run.

Retiring and term limited incumbents

1. Heherson Alvarez (LDP), term limited, ran for representative from Isabela's 4th district and won; ran for senator in 2004 and lost
2. Edgardo Angara (LDP), term limited, ran for Vice President of the Philippines and lost; ran for senator in 2001 and won
3. Neptali Gonzales (LDP), term limited, retired from politics
4. Ernesto Herrera (LDP), term limited, ran for representative from Bohol's 1st district and won; ran for senator in 2001 and in 2004 and lost both times
5. Ernesto Maceda (NPC), term limited, ran for mayor of Manila and lost; ran for senator in 2004 and lost
6. Orlando S. Mercado (LDP), term limited, was subsequently appointed as Secretary of National Defense; ran for senator in 2001 and in 2004 and lost both times
7. Alberto Romulo (LDP), term limited
8. Leticia Ramos-Shahani (Lakas), term limited, retired from politics

Incumbents running elsewhere

These all won in the 1995 election, and if lost, would have still returned to finish their six-year Senate term.

1. Miriam Defensor Santiago (PRP), ran for President of the Philippines and lost
2. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (Lakas), ran for Vice President of the Philippines and won
3. Raul Roco (Aksyon), ran for President of the Philippines and lost
4. Francisco Tatad (GAD), ran for Vice President of the Philippines and lost

Arroyo's victory in the vice presidential election meant that she would vacate her Senate seat by June 30, 1998.

Results

The Laban ng Makabayang Masang Pilipino (LAMMP) won seven seats, while the Lakas-NUCD won five.

Three incumbents, all from LAMMP, successfully defended their seats: Blas Ople, Ramon Revilla Sr., and Tito Sotto.

There are five neophyte senators: Rene Cayetano, Loren Legarda, and Robert Barbers of Lakas, and Robert Jaworski and Tessie Aquino-Oreta of LAMMP.

Returning senators are Rodolfo Biazon, John Henry Osmeña, and Aquilino Pimentel Jr. of LAMMP, and Teofisto Guingona, Jr. of Lakas.

Freddie Webb was the sole incumbent defeated.

The election of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as Vice President of the Philippines in a concurrent election meant that her Senate seat was vacant until June 30, 2001.

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Key:

• ‡ Seats up
• + Gained by a party from another party
• √ Held by the incumbent
• * Held by the same party with a new senator
• ^ Vacancy

Per candidate

Per coalition

Per party

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats
					Up	Before	Won	After	+/−
	Lakas–NUCD–UMDP	93,261,379	45.44	+21.88	2	7	5	9	+2
	Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino	56,058,540	27.31	−7.41	9	10	4	5	−5
	Partido para sa Demokratikong Reporma	13,090,781	6.38	New	0	0	0	0	0
	PDP–Laban	10,227,765	4.98	+0.31	0	0	1	1	New
	Nationalist People's Coalition	9,242,652	4.50	−11.59	1	2	1	2	0
	Partido ng Masang Pilipino	8,968,616	4.37	New	0	0	1	1	New
	Liberal Party	5,429,123	2.65	New	0	0	0	0	0
	Kilusan para sa Pambansang Pagpapanibago	1,688,775	0.82	New	0	0	0	0	0
	Independent	7,275,858	3.54	−1.88	0	2	0	2	0
	Aksyon Demokratiko				0	1	0	1	0
	Grand Alliance for Democracy/Gabaybayan				0	1	0	1	0
	People's Reform Party				0	1	0	1	0
Vacancy					0	0	0	1	+1
Total		205,243,489	100.00	–	12	24	12	24	0
Total votes		25,736,505	–
Registered voters/turnout		36,415,154	70.68
Source: "Electoral Politics in the Philippines" (PDF). quezon.ph. Retrieved 2010-12-10.