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

Mayor · Santa Teresita, Cagayan

Romeo GarciaLolita Garcia

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

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’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Santa Teresita
2007Mayor · Santa Teresita

Vice Mayor · Labo, Camarines Norte

Dindo PardoSeverino Francisco Jr.

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

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’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Labo
+2Won the same office back in 2019

2004Vice Mayor · Labo
2007Vice Mayor · Labo
2010Mayor · Labo
2019Vice Mayor · Labo

Mayor · Capalonga, Camarines Norte

Ernesto JalgaladoSenandro Jalgalado

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

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’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Capalonga
2007Mayor · Capalonga

Mayor · Mercedes, Camarines Norte

Pepito LoAlexander Pajarillo

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Mercedes
2007Mayor · Mercedes

Governor · Camarines Sur

Luis Villafuerte

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

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’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Representative, 3rd District · Camarines Sur
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2004Governor · Camarines Sur
2004Representative · Camarines Sur
2007Governor · Camarines Sur
2007Representative · Camarines Sur
2010Governor · Camarines Sur
2010Representative, 3rd District · Camarines Sur

Mayor · Libmanan, Camarines Sur

Rodolfo JimenezMarilyn Jimenez

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Libmanan
2007Mayor · Libmanan

Mayor · City of Toledo, Cebu

Arlene ZamboAurelio Espinosa

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

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’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Tabuelan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Aurelio Espinosa

2004Mayor · City of Toledo
2007Mayor · City of Toledo
2010Vice Mayor · Tabuelan
2010Vice Mayor · City of Toledo

Vice Mayor · City of Toledo, Cebu

Aurelio EspinosaArlene Zambo

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Tabuelan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Arlene Zambo

2004Vice Mayor · City of Toledo
2007Vice Mayor · City of Toledo
2010Mayor · Tabuelan
2010Mayor · City of Toledo

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · City of Toledo, Cebu

Aurelio EspinosaArlene Zambo

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Aurelio Espinosa and Arlene Zambo traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2010
+1Both share the same surname

2004Vice Mayor · City of Toledo
2007Vice Mayor · City of Toledo
2010Mayor · Tabuelan
2010Mayor · City of Toledo

Mayor · Giporlos, Eastern Samar

Mateo Biong Jr.Mark Biong

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Giporlos
2007Mayor · Giporlos

Vice Mayor · Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte

Joseph ArzadonCaroline Garvida

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Vice Mayor · Nueva Era
2007Vice Mayor · Nueva Era

Mayor · Pinili, Ilocos Norte

Anunciacion PagdilaoSamuel Pagdilao

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Pinili
2007Mayor · Pinili

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Matilde SalesMarlon Sales

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2010

’01

’04

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’07

’10

’13

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’16

’19

’22

’25

+2Matilde Sales and Marlon Sales traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2010
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 18 straight years

2007Vice Mayor · Pagudpud
2010Mayor · Pagudpud
2016Vice Mayor · Pagudpud

Vice Mayor · Suyo, Ilocos Sur

Samuel Subagan Jr.Eliseo Tilang

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

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’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Suyo
+2Won the same office back in 2019

2004Vice Mayor · Suyo
2007Vice Mayor · Suyo
2010Mayor · Suyo
2013Mayor · Suyo
2016Mayor · Suyo
2019Vice Mayor · Suyo
2022Vice Mayor · Suyo

Mayor · City of Iloilo, Iloilo

Jerry Treñas

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Representative · Iloilo
+2Won the same office back in 2019

2004Mayor · City of Iloilo
2007Mayor · City of Iloilo
2010Representative · Iloilo
2013Representative, Lone District · City of Iloilo
2016Representative, Lone District · City of Iloilo
2019Mayor · City of Iloilo
2022Mayor · City of Iloilo

Mayor · Echague, Isabela

Leoncio Kiat Jr.Melinda Kiat

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Echague
2007Mayor · Echague

Mayor · Bagulin, La Union

Salcedo TumbagaFerdinand Tumbaga

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Bagulin
2007Mayor · Bagulin

Mayor · Los Baños, Laguna

Caesar PerezAnthony Genuino

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

●

’13

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’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Governor · Laguna
+2Won the same office back in 2013

2004Mayor · Los Baños
2007Mayor · Los Baños
2010Vice Governor · Laguna
2013Mayor · Los Baños
2016Mayor · Los Baños

Mayor · Bubong, Lanao del Sur

Usoph Sarip MunderAlfais Munder

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

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’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

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

2004Mayor · Bubong
2007Mayor · Bubong

Mayor · Upi, Maguindanao

Ramon PiangRuben Platon

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2010

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’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Upi
+2Won the same office back in 2013

2004Mayor · Upi
2007Mayor · Upi
2010Vice Mayor · Upi
2013Mayor · Upi
2016Mayor · Upi
2019Mayor · Upi

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 →