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 · Gonzaga, Cagayan

Jessie GasparSherryl Gaspar

Moderate risk · 3 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: Sherryl Gaspar

2019Vice Mayor · Gonzaga
2022Vice Mayor · Gonzaga

Representative, 1st District · Cagayan

Ramon Nolasco Jr.Ramon Nolasco

Moderate risk · 3 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: Ramon Nolasco

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

Mayor · Basud, Camarines Norte

Adrian DavocoShunn Davoco

Moderate risk · 3 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: Shunn Davoco

2019Mayor · Basud
2022Mayor · Basud

Mayor · Minalabac, Camarines Sur

Christopher LizardoJames Lizardo

Moderate risk · 3 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: James Lizardo

2019Mayor · Minalabac
2022Mayor · Minalabac

Vice Mayor · Goa, Camarines Sur

Pay GonzagaMarcel Pan

Moderate risk · 3 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: Marcel Pan

2019Vice Mayor · Goa
2022Vice Mayor · Goa

Vice Mayor · Panay, Capiz

Amy BermejoJulius Asis

Moderate risk · 3 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: Julius Asis

2019Vice Mayor · Panay
2022Vice Mayor · Panay

Mayor · Jamindan, Capiz

Mac ValdemarDonnah Valdemar

Moderate risk · 3 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: Donnah Valdemar

2019Mayor · Jamindan
2022Mayor · Jamindan

Mayor · Magallanes, Cavite

Jasmin Maligaya Janessa Maligaya

Moderate risk · 3 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: Janessa Maligaya

2019Mayor · Magallanes
2022Mayor · Magallanes

Representative, 7th District · Cebu

Peter CalderonPatricia Calderon

Moderate risk · 3 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: Patricia Calderon

2019Representative, 7th District · Cebu
2022Representative, 7th District · Cebu

Mayor ⇄ Representative, Lone District · City of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu

Ahong Chan Cindi Chan

Moderate risk · 3 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Ahong Chan and Cindi Chan traded Mayor and Representative, Lone District in 2025
+1Both share the same surname

2019Mayor · City of Lapu-Lapu
2022Mayor · City of Lapu-Lapu
2025Representative, Lone District · City of Lapu-Lapu

Mayor · M'Lang, Cotabato

Russel AbonadoDok Abonado

Moderate risk · 3 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: Dok Abonado

2019Mayor · M'Lang
2022Mayor · M'Lang

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Laak, Davao de Oro

Honeyboy Libuangan Ay-Eng Libuangan

Moderate risk · 3 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Honeyboy Libuangan and Ay-Eng Libuangan traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname

2022Vice Mayor · Laak
2025Mayor · Laak

Mayor · Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental

Michael MaruyaMark Maruya

Moderate risk · 3 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: Mark Maruya

2019Mayor · Don Marcelino
2022Mayor · Don Marcelino

Mayor · Llorente, Eastern Samar

Daniel BocoChristine Cardona

Moderate risk · 3 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: Christine Cardona

2019Mayor · Llorente
2022Mayor · Llorente

Vice Mayor · Arteche, Eastern Samar

Rolando EvardoneBowad Evardone

Moderate risk · 3 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: Bowad Evardone

2019Vice Mayor · Arteche
2022Vice Mayor · Arteche

Mayor · Adams, Ilocos Norte

Rosalia DupagenHomer Domingo

Moderate risk · 3 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: Homer Domingo

2019Mayor · Adams
2022Mayor · Adams

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · San Juan, Ilocos Sur

Benjamin Sarmiento Jr.Elaine Sarmiento

Moderate risk · 3 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

’16

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Benjamin Sarmiento Jr. and Elaine Sarmiento traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname

2019Vice Mayor · San Juan Lapog
2022Vice Mayor · San Juan
2025Mayor · San Juan

Mayor · San Mariano, Isabela

Edgar GoAna Cristina Go

Moderate risk · 3 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: Ana Cristina Go

2019Mayor · San Mariano
2022Mayor · San Mariano

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Benito Soliven, Isabela

Jp Azur Roberto Lungan

Moderate risk · 3 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Jp Azur and Roberto Lungan traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025

2019Vice Mayor · Benito Soliven
2022Vice Mayor · Benito Soliven
2025Mayor · Benito Soliven

Vice Mayor · City of San Fernando, La Union

Alfredo OrtegaPablo Ortega

Moderate risk · 3 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: Pablo Ortega

2019Vice Mayor · City of San Fernando
2022Vice Mayor · City of San Fernando

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 →