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

494 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 · Villaviciosa, Abra

Marjorie LagenPeping Lagen

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Peping Lagen
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Villaviciosa
2022Vice Mayor · Villaviciosa

Vice Mayor · Tangalan, Aklan

Gene Fuentes Gary Fuentes

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

●

’01

●

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Tangalan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Gary Fuentes

2019Vice Mayor · Tangalan
2022Vice Mayor · Tangalan
2025Mayor · Tangalan

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Tipo-Tipo, Basilan

Ingatun-Lukman Istarul Arcam Istarul

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Ingatun-Lukman Istarul and Arcam Istarul traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 18 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Tipo-Tipo
2022Vice Mayor · Tipo-Tipo
2025Mayor · Tipo-Tipo

Representative, 1st District · Bataan

Geraldine RomanTony Roman

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Tony Roman
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2019Representative, 1st District · Bataan
2022Representative, 1st District · Bataan

Mayor · City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan

Arthur Robes Ate Robes

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Representative, Lone District · City of San Jose Del Monte
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ate Robes

2019Mayor · City of San Jose Del Monte
2022Mayor · City of San Jose Del Monte
2025Representative, Lone District · City of San Jose Del Monte

Mayor · City of Baliwag, Bulacan

Ferdie Estrella Mommy Estrella

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · City of Baliwag
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Mommy Estrella

2019Mayor · City of Baliwag
2022Mayor · City of Baliwag
2025Vice Mayor · City of Baliwag

Vice Mayor · Solana, Cagayan

Meynard Carag Jennalyn Carag

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

●

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Solana
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jennalyn Carag

2019Vice Mayor · Solana
2022Vice Mayor · Solana
2025Mayor · Solana

Mayor · Ballesteros, Cagayan

Vincent Unite Robert Ogalino

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsTerm limit 2025

●

’01

●

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

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

2019Mayor · Ballesteros
2022Mayor · Ballesteros
2025Vice Mayor · Ballesteros

Representative, 2nd District · Camarines Norte

Toots PanotesRosemarie Panotes

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Rosemarie Panotes
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2019Representative, 2nd District · Camarines Norte
2022Representative, 2nd District · Camarines Norte

Representative, 2nd District · Camarines Sur

Lray Villafuerte Luigi Villafuerte

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Governor · Camarines Sur
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Luigi Villafuerte

2019Representative, 2nd District · Camarines Sur
2022Representative, 2nd District · Camarines Sur
2025Governor · Camarines Sur

Mayor · Magarao, Camarines Sur

Yip-Yip SeñarMm Señar

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Mm Señar
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2019Mayor · Magarao
2022Mayor · Magarao

Mayor · Noveleta, Cavite

Dino Chua Davey Chua

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Noveleta
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Davey Chua

2019Mayor · Noveleta
2022Mayor · Noveleta
2025Vice Mayor · Noveleta

Vice Mayor · City of Bogo, Cebu

Mayel Martinez Carlo Martinez

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · City of Bogo
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Carlo Martinez

2019Vice Mayor · City of Bogo
2022Vice Mayor · City of Bogo
2025Mayor · City of Bogo

Mayor · Borbon, Cebu

Noel Dotillos Nico Dotillos

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Borbon
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Nico Dotillos

2019Mayor · Borbon
2022Mayor · Borbon
2025Vice Mayor · Borbon

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · President Roxas, Cotabato

Jaime Mahimpit Jonathan Mahimpit

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Jaime Mahimpit and Jonathan Mahimpit traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 18 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · President Roxas
2022Vice Mayor · President Roxas
2025Mayor · President Roxas

Mayor · San Julian, Eastern Samar

Dennis Estaron Ate Estaron

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · San Julian
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ate Estaron

2019Mayor · San Julian
2022Mayor · San Julian
2025Vice Mayor · San Julian

Mayor · City of Batac, Ilocos Norte

Albert Chua Markee Chua

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · City of Batac
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Markee Chua

2019Mayor · City of Batac
2022Mayor · City of Batac
2025Vice Mayor · City of Batac

Mayor · Sarrat, Ilocos Norte

Remigio Medrano Ralph Medrano

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Sarrat
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ralph Medrano

2019Mayor · Sarrat
2022Mayor · Sarrat
2025Vice Mayor · Sarrat

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Alilem, Ilocos Sur

Mar Ruel Sumabat Velmor Sumabat

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Mar Ruel Sumabat and Velmor Sumabat traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 18 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Alilem
2022Vice Mayor · Alilem
2025Mayor · Alilem

Vice Mayor · Anilao, Iloilo

Matet Debuque Lyka Debuque

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Anilao
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Lyka Debuque

2019Vice Mayor · Anilao
2022Vice Mayor · Anilao
2025Mayor · Anilao

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 →