UNEXPECTED RESULTS OF PHILIPPINES MID-TERM ELECTIONS: DUE TO PERSISTENT AND DIFFUSE VOTING FRAUD, THE SAME THAT BROUGHT TO POWER DUTERTE AND BBM

 Don't overcredit 'youth vote' for 2025 surprise wins, says expert

Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com

May 21, 2025 | 8:48am

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Don't overcredit 'youth vote' for 2025 surprise wins, says expert

Opposition senatorial candidate, now a senator-elect, Bam Aquino speaks on the campaign trail in Iloilo City as seen in an image posted on April 16, 2025.

Bam Aquino campaign

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MANILA, Philippines — The 2025 midterm elections concluded with unexpected outcomes widely attributed to the youth vote. However, sociologist Athena Charanne Presto warns that this explanation may be too simplistic.

The anticipated face-off between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s slate and Vice President Sara Duterte’s was upended by the surprise wins of now-senators-elect Bam Aquino and Kiko Pangilinan.

Some—including Senator-elect Ping Lacson, who ran on Marcos’s slate—and watchdogs such as the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting and the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections credited the youth vote with propelling the opposition into the Magic 12. After all, 60% of the voting population are Millennials and Gen Z.

But Presto challenges the observation. First, she argues, the definition of “youth” remains inconsistent.

“They conflate the youth as both Gen Z and millennials,” Presto told Philstar.com.

For instance, the Pew Research Center defines millennials as those born from 1981 to 1996, and Gen Z from 1997 to 2012. Under these definitions, the oldest millennials—who turn 44 this year—no longer fall under the government’s category of “youth.”

Moreover, the two generations’ sensibilities diverge sharply due to different formative experiences. Even within Gen Z, which is dealing with participation issues, political engagement varies, especially among its youngest members.

“I talk to Gen Z most of the time, young people's political expressions are still very limited. They're limited by financial concerns,” she said.

Many still depend on parental support and fear that expressing their political opinions would cause them their allowances from parents. They may also hesitate to defy cultural norms, wary of appearing disrespectful to their parents.

Presto also noted a broader literacy issue amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic’s digital divide: while some youths were able to adapt to remote setup, those in rural areas struggled to keep pace in their studies.

In short, the youth cannot be painted with a broad brush.

“Let's not forget the fact that the youth are very diverse. They're very heterogenous,” Presto said.