Tiangco’s Treachery: How a ₱10-Billion Campaign Crashed and Burned

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — May 20, 2025

IN THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where administration allies have long commanded near-ironclad loyalty, the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas coalition suffered a staggering shutout in the 2025 midterms—not a single candidate won a seat. This humiliating collapse in a traditional stronghold lays bare the catastrophic failure of Rep. Toby Tiangco as campaign manager. Entrusted with a reported ₱10-billion war chest, Tiangco delivered the worst midterm performance for an administration-backed slate in over 50 years, securing only six of twelve Senate seats, none in the top three. The evidence paints a damning picture of mismanagement, self-serving agendas, and shameless blame-shifting—a betrayal not just of the coalition but of the Filipino voters who deserved better.

Starving the Ground Game: A ₱10-Billion Squandered

The ₱10-billion campaign fund, a colossal investment by the Marcos administration, should have powered an unstoppable electoral machine. Instead, Tiangco’s mismanagement reduced it to a mirage. Local politikos, the linchpin of any campaign’s ground game, were reportedly allocated a mere ₱1 million each—a sum so pitiful it left them scrambling to fund basic operations. In BARMM, where robust financial support is essential to secure command votes, this stinginess proved fatal. Election results, as reported by Rappler and Wikipedia, confirm Alyansa’s complete shutout in the region, defying its historical allegiance to administration candidates. A veteran foreign campaign adviser, hired late in the race, was reportedly “stunned” by Tiangco’s misplaced priorities, a sentiment echoed by insiders who watched the ground game implode. The chasm between the coalition’s vast resources and its dismal results isn’t mere incompetence—it’s a betrayal of the trust placed in Tiangco to deliver votes, not excuses.

Escudero’s Throne Over Alyansa’s Triumph

More insidious are allegations that Tiangco sacrificed Alyansa’s success to safeguard Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero’s grip on power. Insiders claim Tiangco undermined two Alyansa candidates perceived as threats to Escudero’s Senate presidency while dangling financial support to two others—contingent on their loyalty to Escudero. “Tiangco was more concerned with keeping Chiz in the Senate presidency than delivering a win for Alyansa,” an Iskooper told reporters. These claims, while not widely corroborated, gain traction from Tiangco’s past alignment with Escudero, notably in 2016 when he targeted Grace Poe, Escudero’s running mate, over residency issues Rappler, 2016. The result? A meager six Senate seats, far from the dominance expected of a Marcos-backed coalition. Tiangco’s alleged fixation on Escudero’s agenda didn’t just weaken Alyansa—it ensured a historic electoral rout.

Dodging the Blame: Tiangco’s Shameless Deflections

Post-election, Tiangco’s response has been a masterclass in evasion. He pointed fingers at the House leadership for withholding funds and blamed Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment for the Mindanao collapse, stating, “We know what happened in Mindanao. This all started when the impeachment was filed” Philstar, May 16, 2025. Critics have torn this narrative apart. Barry Gutierrez, a former vice presidential spokesman, declared, “Toby Tiangco failed to deliver. And now, he’s pointing fingers instead of accepting what’s obvious: ang tunay na dahilan ng pagkatalo ay ang kapalpakan niya mismo” Manila Bulletin, May 18, 2025. Posts on X amplify this outrage, with users like @PinoyPatriot_23 calling Tiangco’s excuses “a pathetic attempt to dodge accountability.” Reports of President Marcos being “livid” over the squandered ₱10-billion investment underscore the scale of Tiangco’s failure. His claim of running a “clean campaign” Manila Bulletin, May 12, 2025 rings hollow against the coalition’s collapse and the chorus of critics demanding accountability.

The Frabelle Network: A Web of Self-Interest

At the core of Tiangco’s failures lies the so-called “Frabelle Network,” an alliance with Escudero and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, rooted in their shared Navotas base. Tiangco’s family ties to fishing corporations, intertwined with Tiu-Laurel’s seafood empire, suggest a nexus of business and political interests that may have skewed campaign priorities Wikipedia. Insiders allege this network’s goal was to secure Escudero’s Senate presidency through 2028, particularly for the impending Duterte impeachment trial, even at Alyansa’s expense. While not widely reported, the network’s plausibility is bolstered by Navotas’ tight-knit political landscape. This alliance raises a searing question: did Tiangco divert a national campaign to serve a local power clique, betraying the broader coalition and its voters?

A Reckoning Overdue

The 2025 midterms were a test of leadership, and Toby Tiangco failed spectacularly. His mismanagement of a ₱10-billion fund, alleged sabotage to protect Escudero, and refusal to own the resulting disaster reveal a campaign manager more loyal to personal ambitions than to the coalition’s mission. President Marcos, whose administration bankrolled this fiasco, must demand answers. The Filipino people, whose trust in democratic processes was undermined, deserve transparency. Tiangco’s missteps weren’t just failures; they were betrayals. Did Toby Tiangco sacrifice the Alyansa coalition to serve his own ambitions—and who will answer for this ₱10-billion disaster?