Frankie “Kakie” Pangilinan, daughter of senatorial candidate and former senator Kiko Pangilinan, shared a candid behind-the-scenes moment from election night—one that revealed how close her father came to stepping away from politics for good.
Just eight hours before the partial and unofficial results began showing her father among the Top 5 in the 2025 Senate race, Kakie said they were already talking about “backup plans.”
“Di talaga ako makapaniwala… 8 hours ago lang, pinag-uusapan na namin mga backup plan ni Sir,” Kakie posted on X (formerly Twitter), just after midnight on Tuesday, May 13.
According to her, the senator had accepted the possibility of taking a break from public service. But fate, she said, seemed to have other plans.
“Kanina lang, sabi ni Dad handa na daw siyang magpahinga, tas sabi ni Lord, ‘wag muna.’”
As of 9:02 a.m., with 80.44% of election returns processed, Kiko Pangilinan is ranked 5th, having secured over 12.2 million votes, based on partial and unofficial results from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) media server.
This strong showing came as a surprise to many, including Pangilinan’s family, as pre-election surveys did not forecast a Top 5 finish.
Supporters quickly flooded Kakie’s social media with messages of relief and pride, some even joking that it’s too soon for the veteran lawmaker to retire.
Kiko Pangilinan previously served multiple terms as senator and was a key author of landmark agriculture and education bills. He made an unsuccessful bid for the vice presidency in 2022, losing to now-Vice President Sara Duterte.
With his apparent Senate comeback, supporters say Pangilinan still has unfinished work—especially in championing food security, education reform, and farmers’ welfare, causes long associated with his political career.
For Kakie, like many of her father’s supporters, the night brought not just joy but renewed belief in second chances.
“Maraming maraming maraming maraming maraming maraming salamat,” she wrote.
