1955 Philippine general election

November 8, 1955

8 (of the 24) seats in the Senate and 1 mid-term vacancy
13 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Eulogio Rodriguez Diosdado Macapagal (lost)
Party Nacionalista Liberal
Seats before 15 4
Seats after 21 0
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 4
Popular vote 17,319,389 7,395,988
Percentage 67.6% 28.9%
Swing Increase 27.7% Decrease 7.1%

Senate President before election

Eulogio Rodriguez
Nacionalista

Elected Senate President

Eulogio Rodriguez
Nacionalista

A senatorial election in the Philippines was held on November 8, 1955. This was a midterm election, the date when the winners took office falling halfway through President Ramon Magsaysay's four-year term.

Summary

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]

Special elections

There was a special election held for the vacant seat of Senator Carlos P. Garcia after he won as Vice President in 1953. Roseller T. Lim won and served the unexpired term of Garcia from 1955 to 1957.

Retiring incumbents

Liberal Party

  1. Tomas Cabili
  2. Justiniano Montano

Mid-term vacancy

  1. Esteban Abada (Liberal), died on December 17, 1954

Results

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.

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.

123456789101112131415161718192021222324
Before election ‡^ ‡^
Election result Not up NP Not up
After election + + + + + +

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 (general election)

 Summary of the November 8, 1955 Philippine Senate election result
Rank Candidate Party Votes %
1 Pacita Madrigal-Warns Nacionalista 2,544,71650.4%
2 Lorenzo Sumulong Nacionalista 2,250,78044.6%
3 Quintin Paredes Nacionalista 2,171,41543.0%
4 Francisco Soc Rodrigo Nacionalista 2,132,09442.2%
5 Pedro Sabido Nacionalista 1,821,09836.1%
6 Claro M. Recto Liberal1 1,716,98434.0%
7 Domocao Alonto Nacionalista 1,619,10932.1%
8 Decoroso Rosales Nacionalista 1,600,25531.7%
9Diosdado Macapagal Liberal1,454,20028.8%
10Juan Chioco Nacionalista1,452,69328.8%
11Camilo Osías Liberal1,388,13727.5%
12Geronima Pecson Liberal1,340,80026.6%
13Macario Peralta Jr. Liberal1,207,49523.9%
14Enrique B. Magalona Liberal1,086,05421.5%
15Pio Pedrosa Liberal919,30218.2%
16William Chiongbian Liberal884,07717.5%
17Alfredo AbcedeFederal22,7690.5%
18Concepcion R. Lim de Plana Nacionalista10,2450.2%
19Vicente A. Rafael Independent4,5510.1%
20Filemon Blay Independent1,1790.0%
21Praxedes Floro Independent1,0810.0%
Total turnout5,046,48877.8%
Total votes25,629,034N/A
Registered voters6,487,061100.0%
Note: A total of 21 candidates ran for senator. Source:[2]
^1 Liberal Party's guest candidate

Special election

For Carlos P. Garcia's vacated Senate seat when he was elected vice president on 1953. Unlike the regular election, this is held under the first past the post system.

 Summary of the November 8, 1955 Senate special election result
Rank Candidate Party Votes %
1.Roseller T. Lim Nacionalista1,102,97961.4%
2.Simeon Toribio Liberal688,91338.4%
3.Avelino P. Garcia Independent4,3780.2%
Total valid votes1,796,270100.0%
Source: Commission on Elections

Per party

This includes the result of the special election under "seats after," but not on other columns.

PartyVotes%+/–Seats
UpBeforeWonAfter+/−
Nacionalista Party17,319,38963.92+24.09317823+6
Liberal Party8,861,24432.71−3.264400−4
Federal Party906,8463.35+3.3300000
Independent6,8110.03+0.0100000
Citizens Party01010
Vacant1100−1
Total27,094,290100.008248240
Total votes5,046,488
Registered voters/turnout6,487,06177.79
Source: Dieter Nohlen; Florian Grotz; Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos (15 November 2001).
Elections in Asia and the Pacific: A Data Handbook: Volume II: South East Asia, East Asia, and the South Pacific
. ISBN 9780199249596.

& Julio Teehankee. "Electoral Politics in the Philippines" (PDF). quezon.ph.
Vote share
NP
63.92%
LP
32.71%
Others
3.38%
Senate seats
NP
100.0%
LP
0.0%
Others
0.0%

See also

References

  1. Philippine Electoral Almanac. The Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office. 2013. p. 28. Archived from the original on 2014-04-09.
  2. Christof Hartmann; Graham Hassall; Soliman M. Santos, Jr. (2001). Dieter Nohlen, Florian Grotz and Christof Hartmann (ed.). Elections in Asia and the Pacific Vol. II. Oxford University Press. pp. 185–230. ISBN 0199249598.
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