Win some, lose some: Political clans rise and fall in PH midterm vote
MANILA, Philippines — “This is the change the people want.”
San Juan City’s newly proclaimed mayor Francis Zamora said this as he entered the San Juan Gymnasium where the City Board of Canvassers tallied votes and where he was later proclaimed as mayor.
READ: Francis Zamora proclaimed as San Juan City mayor
His proclamation broke the 50-year hold of the Ejercito-Estrada clan in the city.
Monday’s midterm elections also saw the end of the longstanding grip of several prominent families in local politics, though some have also extended their reign.
New names
Two years after Vico Sotto was born, the family of his opponent in the mayoralty race in Pasig was already ruling the city. But on Tuesday, 29-year-old Sotto was proclaimed as the city’s new mayor, breaking the grip of the Eusebio clan in Pasig since 1992.
READ: Millennial Vico Sotto wins longshot bid for Pasig mayor
According to the City Board of Canvassers (CBOC), Sotto defeated incumbent Mayor Robert “Bobby” Eusebio as he garnered 206,226 votes.
“Ang laban na ‘to, hindi ko lang po ito laban, hindi lang po ito laban ng isang Vico o ng Sotto, pero laban po ito ng bawat isang Pasigueño na sumisigaw ng pagbabago,” Sotto told reporters after his proclamation Tuesday afternoon.
(This fight is not only my fight or a Sotto’s. This is also is the fight of all Pasigueños crying for change.)
The newly proclaimed mayor first served as a councilor of Pasig City’s first district in 2016.
READ: Vico Sotto is new mayor of Pasig City, ends Eusebio clan’s 27-year reign
In San Juan City, Zamora clinched the city’s top post with a margin of 10,247 votes from Janella Ejercito Estrada.
She would have been the third generation Ejercito-Estrada to serve as mayor.
READ: Francis Zamora proclaimed as San Juan City mayor
Meanwhile, Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso was proclaimed as the new mayor of Manila, 24 hours after the voting ended Monday.
Moreno dethroned former president and now former Manila mayor Joseph Estrada who held the city’s top post for two terms.
In a landslide victory, Moreno garnered 357,925 votes while Estrada got 210,605 votes, according to results from the City Board of Canvassers.
READ: Isko Moreno proclaimed as Manila mayor
Still in power
While some cities in Metro Manila found new leaders, other political clans maintained their grip in their respective localities.
In Taguig City, Lino Cayetano was proclaimed as the city’s mayor while Lani Cayetano was declared as representative of the city’s second district.
READ: Cayetanos poised to keep a grip of Taguig
Lani’s husband, Alan Peter, is yet to be proclaimed as representative of Taguig’s first district.
JUST IN: Mayor Lino Cayetano, VM Ricardo Cruz and 2nd District Rep. Lani Cayetano are proclaimed winners in the city’s midterm elections, reasserting their grip in their political bailiwick. 1st District Alan Peter Cayetano still yet to be proclaimed despite lead #votePH2019 pic.twitter.com/3uWU3YzadM
— Krixia Subingsubing (@krixiasINQ) May 14, 2019
Earlier, Lani and Alan’s congressional bids were challenged after a Taguig resident filed a disqualification case against them before the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In a petition filed last November 28, Leonides Buac asked the Comelec to cancel the couple’s certificates of candidacy over an apparent ploy on “dynastic expansion.”
READ: Comelec asked to nullify Cayetano couple’s COCs
The complaint questioned Alan’s claim that he is a resident of Barangay Bagumbayan in the city’s first district while Lani lives in Barangay Fort Bonifacio in the second district. The petitioner noted that it was not in accordance with Article 69 of the Family Code, which states that the husband and wife shall fix the family domicile.
However, the Comelec junked the petition.
READ: Comelec junks plea vs Alan Peter Cayetano’s House bid
Meanwhile, the daughter of Senator Cynthia Villar and businessman and former Senator Manny Villar won as a congresswoman in Las Piñas City, the bailiwick of the Villar family.
READ: Camille Villar proclaimed Las Piñas congresswoman
Camille Villar garnered 89.78 percent of the city’s total votes with 173,917.
Her opponent Jerry delos Reyes got 19,791 votes, data from the City Board of Canvassers showed. (Editor: Eden Estopace)
