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

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Naawan, Misamis Oriental

Dennis Roa Jaime Roa

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

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’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Dennis Roa and Jaime Roa traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

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

Representative, 6th District · Negros Occidental

Mercedes AlvarezLim-Ao Alvarez

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Lim-Ao Alvarez
+2Won the same office back in 2022
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Representative, 6th District · Negros Occidental
2016Representative, 6th District · Negros Occidental
2022Representative, 6th District · Negros Occidental
2025Representative, 6th District · Negros Occidental

Mayor · Las Navas, Northern Samar

Minda TanArlito Tan

High risk · 6 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 · Las Navas
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Arlito Tan
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · Las Navas
2016Mayor · Las Navas
2019Vice Mayor · Las Navas
2022Vice Mayor · Las Navas
2025Vice Mayor · Las Navas

Mayor · Bobon, Northern Samar

Reny CelesparaClara Celespara

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Clara Celespara
+2Won the same office back in 2022
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Bobon
2016Mayor · Bobon
2022Mayor · Bobon
2025Mayor · Bobon

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Las Navas, Northern Samar

Arlito TanMinda Tan

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Arlito Tan and Minda Tan traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

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

Mayor · Macabebe, Pampanga

Annette BalganBobong Flores

High risk · 6 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 · Macabebe
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Bobong Flores
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · Macabebe
2016Mayor · Macabebe
2019Vice Mayor · Macabebe

Mayor · Balungao, Pangasinan

Philipp PeraltaRiza Peralta

High risk · 6 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 · Balungao
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Riza Peralta
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · Balungao
2016Mayor · Balungao
2019Vice Mayor · Balungao
2022Vice Mayor · Balungao

Governor · Quirino

Junie CuaDax Cua

High risk · 6 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: Representative, Lone District · Quirino
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Dax Cua
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2013Governor · Quirino
2016Governor · Quirino
2019Representative, Lone District · Quirino

Representative, 2nd District · City of Antipolo, Rizal

Romeo AcopDoktora Acop

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Doktora Acop
+2Won the same office back in 2022
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Representative, 2nd District · City of Antipolo
2016Representative, 2nd District · City of Antipolo
2022Representative, 2nd District · City of Antipolo
2025Representative, 2nd District · City of Antipolo

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Glan, Sarangani

Vivien YapTata Yap

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Vivien Yap and Tata Yap traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

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

Mayor · Libagon, Southern Leyte

Oliver RanqueSabina Ranque

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Sabina Ranque
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Libagon
2016Mayor · Libagon
2025Mayor · Libagon

Mayor · Mayantoc, Tarlac

Iluminado Pobre Jr.Julie Icmat

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Julie Icmat
+2Won the same office back in 2022
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Mayantoc
2016Mayor · Mayantoc
2022Mayor · Mayantoc
2025Mayor · Mayantoc

Mayor · Languyan, Tawi-Tawi

Yshmael Sali Abduhasan Sali

High risk · 6 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: Governor · Tawi-Tawi
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Abduhasan Sali
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2013Mayor · Languyan
2016Mayor · Languyan
2019Governor · Tawi-Tawi
2025Governor · Tawi-Tawi

Mayor · Roseller Lim, Zamboanga Sibugay

Michael PiodenaDanilo Piodena

High risk · 6 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 · Roseller Lim
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Danilo Piodena
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · Roseller Lim
2016Mayor · Roseller Lim
2019Vice Mayor · Roseller Lim

Mayor · Tayum, Abra

Placido EduarteJoash Eduarte

High risk · 6 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Tayum
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Joash Eduarte
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · Tayum
2013Mayor · Tayum
2016Vice Mayor · Tayum

Mayor · Villaviciosa, Abra

Marjorie LagenJose Lagen Jr.

High risk · 6 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Villaviciosa
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jose Lagen Jr.
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2010Mayor · Villaviciosa
2013Mayor · Villaviciosa
2016Vice Mayor · Villaviciosa
2019Vice Mayor · Villaviciosa
2022Vice Mayor · Villaviciosa

Mayor · Ballesteros, Cagayan

Violeta UniteVincent Unite

High risk · 6 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Ballesteros
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Vincent Unite
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2010Mayor · Ballesteros
2013Mayor · Ballesteros
2016Vice Mayor · Ballesteros
2019Vice Mayor · Ballesteros
2022Vice Mayor · Ballesteros

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Ballesteros, Cagayan

Vincent UniteVioleta Unite

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Vincent Unite and Violeta Unite traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2016
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 24 straight years

2010Vice Mayor · Ballesteros
2013Vice Mayor · Ballesteros
2016Mayor · Ballesteros
2019Mayor · Ballesteros
2022Mayor · Ballesteros
2025Vice Mayor · Ballesteros

Mayor · Banisilan, Cotabato

Betty AlladoJesus Alisasis

High risk · 6 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Banisilan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jesus Alisasis
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2010Mayor · Banisilan
2013Mayor · Banisilan
2016Vice Mayor · Banisilan

Mayor · Cateel, Davao Oriental

Camilo NuñezLinda Nuñez

High risk · 6 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

●

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Cateel
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Linda Nuñez
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · Cateel
2013Mayor · Cateel
2016Vice Mayor · Cateel

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 →