Term limits · 2001–2025 local elections

When the term ends, but the power doesn’t.

Local officials may serve three consecutive terms. 1,482 times since 2001, a term-limited official moved to another seat, handed the seat to someone with the same surname, traded seats, or came back for it.

Very high risk

124

Every case

460 seat moves

Each strip shows who won the seat in each election from 2001 to 2025.

Search name or placeRisk levelPatternProvince

Clear

This official (●)Same surname (S)Someone elseNo result on file

Highest risk Most recent

Mayor · Mabinay, Negros Oriental

Ernie UyJoeterry Uy

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Mabinay
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Joeterry Uy
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Mabinay
2016Mayor · Mabinay
2019Vice Mayor · Mabinay

Vice Mayor · Las Navas, Northern Samar

Arlito TanMinda Tan

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Las Navas
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Minda Tan
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Las Navas
2016Vice Mayor · Las Navas
2019Mayor · Las Navas
2022Mayor · Las Navas

Mayor · San Luis, Pampanga

Venancio Macapagal J Sagum

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: J Sagum
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · San Luis
2016Mayor · San Luis

Vice Mayor · San Manuel, Pangasinan

Salvador Perez Jr.Alain Perez

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Alain Perez
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · San Manuel
2016Vice Mayor · San Manuel

Vice Mayor · Balungao, Pangasinan

Minda PeraltaPhilipp Peralta

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Philipp Peralta
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Balungao
2016Vice Mayor · Balungao

Representative, Lone District ⇄ Governor · Quirino

Dax CuaJunie Cua

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+2Dax Cua and Junie Cua traded Representative, Lone District and Governor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 21 straight years

2016Representative, Lone District · Quirino
2019Governor · Quirino
2022Governor · Quirino
2025Governor · Quirino

Mayor · Almagro, Samar

Kathleen PrudenciadoAmelia Cano

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Almagro
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Amelia Cano
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2013Mayor · Almagro
2016Mayor · Almagro
2019Vice Mayor · Almagro
2022Vice Mayor · Almagro

Vice Mayor · Glan, Sarangani

Vivien YapTata Yap

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Glan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Tata Yap
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Glan
2016Vice Mayor · Glan
2019Mayor · Glan

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Liloan, Southern Leyte

Shirley ChongBoy Chong

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+2Shirley Chong and Boy Chong traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 21 straight years

2016Vice Mayor · Liloan
2019Mayor · Liloan
2022Vice Mayor · Liloan
2025Vice Mayor · Liloan

Vice Mayor · Luuk, Sulu

Nayala HamsaniAllayon Arbison

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Allayon Arbison
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Luuk
2016Vice Mayor · Luuk

Mayor · Hadji Panglima Tahil, Sulu

Abraham BurahanMoh Burahan

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Moh Burahan
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · Hadji Panglima Tahil
2016Mayor · Hadji Panglima Tahil

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Sitangkai, Tawi-Tawi

Tiblan AhajaSerbin Ahaja

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

●

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+2Tiblan Ahaja and Serbin Ahaja traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Sitangkai
2016Vice Mayor · Sitangkai
2019Mayor · Sitangkai
2022Mayor · Sitangkai
2025Vice Mayor · Sitangkai

Mayor · Buug, Zamboanga Sibugay

Jonam Lagas Dionesia Lagas

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Buug
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Dionesia Lagas
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Buug
2016Mayor · Buug
2019Vice Mayor · Buug
2022Vice Mayor · Buug
2025Vice Mayor · Buug

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Roseller Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay

Danilo PiodenaMichael Piodena

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Danilo Piodena and Michael Piodena traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2016Vice Mayor · Roseller Lim
2019Mayor · Roseller Lim
2022Vice Mayor · Roseller Lim

Mayor · Malibcong, Abra

Benido BacuyagRomando Bacuyag

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Romando Bacuyag
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · Malibcong
2013Mayor · Malibcong

Mayor · San Juan, Abra

Marco BautistaArthur Bautista

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Arthur Bautista
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · San Juan
2013Mayor · San Juan

Mayor · La Paz, Abra

Joseph BernosChing Bernos

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ching Bernos
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2010Mayor · La Paz
2013Mayor · La Paz

Mayor · San Isidro, Abra

Ernesto PacsaElmerante Pacsa

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Elmerante Pacsa
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2010Mayor · San Isidro
2013Mayor · San Isidro

Vice Mayor · San Isidro, Abra

Venerando Pacsa Jr.Elixer Pacsa

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Elixer Pacsa
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Vice Mayor · San Isidro
2013Vice Mayor · San Isidro

Vice Mayor · Boliney, Abra

Querico StimsonJulius Balao-As

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Julius Balao-As
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Vice Mayor · Boliney
2013Vice Mayor · Boliney

How the risk level is scored

Reached the 3-term limit	+1
Won a different seat in the same province the next election	+1
Vacated seat won by someone with the same surname	+2
Won the same office back later	+2
Traded offices with another official in one election	+2 (+1 if same surname)
Surname held the office 15+ / 21+ straight years	+1 / +2

Low risk 0–2 pointsModerate risk 3–4 pointsHigh risk 5–6 pointsVery high risk 7+ points

What this does and doesn’t mean

Every move counted here is legal. The Local Government Code (and, for House members, the Constitution) limits an official to three consecutive terms in the same office; it does not stop them from running for another office, or for the same office after one term out.

The risk level measures how concentrated a seat has become in one person or one surname. It is not an accusation of wrongdoing.

“Same surname” means a shared last name, or a last name that matches the other’s middle name, as BetterGov.ph Dynasties defines it. A shared name may not mean the two are related.

Source: COMELEC results 2001–2025 compiled by Open Halalan (ODbL), via the BetterGov.ph Dynasties dataset. Covers governor, vice governor, district representative, mayor and vice mayor seats. Representatives fall under the Constitution’s three-term limit.

Political families and surname blocs →