1955 Philippine Senate election

Philippine Senate elections are held via plurality block voting with staggered elections, with the country as an at-large district. The Senate has 24 seats, of which 8 seats are up every 2 years. The eight seats up were last contested in 1949; each voter has eight votes and can vote up to eight names, of which the eight candidates with the most votes winning the election.

There was a separate special election held for the vacant seat of Senator Carlos P. Garcia after he won as Vice President in 1953. This is under first-past-the-post. The winner shall then serve for the remainder of Garcia's Senate term.

Since Magsaysay was very popular midway through his term, there were 10 candidates who ran under the Nacionalista banner. His adoptive Nacionalista Party continued to grow in strength with the absorption of their erstwhile coalition partner, the Democratic Party; but a pillar of the NP could not hide his opposition to the president. Senator Claro M. Recto, one of those who actively sought the adoption of the former Defense Secretary into the NP fold in 1953, had grown critical of Magsaysay, calling him a “banana dictator” and “American puppet,” among other unflattering names. In retaliation, Magsaysay refused the inclusion of Recto into the NP Senate slate of 1955, prompting the Batangueño leader to seek support for his candidacy with the Liberals.

Though Lorenzo Tañada of the NCP had cooperated with the NP in 1953, Recto became the first “guest candidate” in Philippine electoral history, when he was included in the Liberal Party lineup but did not resign his membership as a Nacionalista.^[1]

1. Tomas Cabili (Liberal)
2. Justiniano Montano (Liberal), ran for House representative from Cavite's at-large district in 1957 and won

The Nacionalista Party won all eight seats contested in the general election, and won the one seat contested in the special election.

Nacionalistas Quintin Paredes, Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Sumulong both defended their Senate seats. Paredes and Sumulong were former Liberals who ran as Nacionalistas in this election. The two Liberal senators who defended their seats were defeated: Enrique Magalona and Macario Peralta Jr.

Five winners are neophyte Nacionalista senators: Decoroso Rosales, Domocao Alonto, Francisco "Soc" Rodrigo, Pacita Madrigal-Warns, and Pedro Sabido. Madrigal-Warns became the only woman in the Senate.

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 party

This includes the result of the special election.

More information Party, Votes ...

Party		Votes	%	+/–	Seats
					Up	Before	Won	After	+/−
	Nacionalista Party	18,422,368	67.18	+27.35	3	17	9	23	+6
	Liberal Party	8,968,978	32.71	−3.26	4	4	0	0	−4
	Federal Party	22,769	0.08	+0.06	0	0	0	0	0
	Independent	6,811	0.02	+0.01	0	0	0	0	0
	Citizens Party				0	1	0	1	0
Vacant					2	1	0	0	−1
Total		27,420,926	100.00	–	9	24	9	24	0
Total votes		5,046,488	–
Registered voters/turnout		6,487,061	77.79
Source: [2][3]

Close

Vote share

NP			67.18%
LP			32.71%
Others			0.10%

Senate seats

NP			100.0%
LP			0.0%
Others			0.0%

1. Enrique Magalona (Liberal) retired from politics
2. Macario Peralta Jr. (Liberal) appointed Secretary of National Defense in 1962

• Also held on this day:
  • 1955 Philippine House of Representatives special elections
  • 1955 Philippine local elections

• Commission on Elections
• 3rd Congress of the Philippines