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 · San Agustin, Surigao del Sur

Libertad AlamedaNick Alameda

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

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

2016Mayor · San Agustin
2019Mayor · San Agustin

Mayor · La Libertad, Zamboanga del Norte

Romeo MejiasLiza Mejias

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · La Libertad
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Liza Mejias

2016Mayor · La Libertad
2019Mayor · La Libertad
2022Vice Mayor · La Libertad

Representative, 3rd District · Zamboanga del Norte

Isagani AmatongIan Amatong

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

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

2016Representative, 3rd District · Zamboanga del Norte
2019Representative, 3rd District · Zamboanga del Norte

Vice Mayor · Bunawan, Agusan del Sur

Sylvia ElordeToto Elorde

Moderate risk · 4 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: Toto Elorde
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Bunawan
2016Vice Mayor · Bunawan

Mayor · La Paz, Agusan del Sur

Ambrosio LimMichael Lim

Moderate risk · 4 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: Michael Lim
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · La Paz
2016Mayor · La Paz

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Malinao, Aklan

Josephine Iquina Ariel Igoy

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Josephine Iquina and Ariel Igoy traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Surname held these offices 15 straight years

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

Vice Mayor · San Remigio, Antique

Elizabeth ColosoGraham Cabigunda

Moderate risk · 4 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: Graham Cabigunda
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · San Remigio
2016Vice Mayor · San Remigio

Mayor · Sibalom, Antique

Joel OccenaGian Occeña

Moderate risk · 4 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: Gian Occeña
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Sibalom
2016Mayor · Sibalom

Mayor · Patnongon, Antique

Johnnyflores BacongalloEvohn Baldestamon

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

●

’01

●

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Patnongon
+2Won the same office back in 2022

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

Mayor · San Isidro, Bohol

Jacinto NaragaBokoy Gementiza

Moderate risk · 4 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: Bokoy Gementiza
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · San Isidro
2016Mayor · San Isidro

Vice Mayor · San Vicente, Camarines Norte

Antonio VillamorVivian Villamor

Moderate risk · 4 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: Vivian Villamor
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · San Vicente
2016Vice Mayor · San Vicente

Mayor · Del Gallego, Camarines Sur

Lydia AbarientosMelanie Abarientos

Moderate risk · 4 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: Melanie Abarientos
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Del Gallego
2016Mayor · Del Gallego

Mayor · Balatan, Camarines Sur

Ernesto BagasbasNena Bagasbas

Moderate risk · 4 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: Nena Bagasbas
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2013Mayor · Balatan
2016Mayor · Balatan

Vice Mayor · City of Trece Martires, Cavite

Alexander LubiganBobby Montehermoso Jr.

Moderate risk · 4 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: Bobby Montehermoso Jr.
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Ternate
2013Vice Mayor · City of Trece Martires
2016Vice Mayor · City of Trece Martires

Mayor · Compostela, Cebu

Joel QuinoFroilan Quiño

Moderate risk · 4 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: Froilan Quiño
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Compostela
2016Mayor · Compostela

Representative, 4th District · Cebu

Benhur SalimbangonJanice Salimbangon

Moderate risk · 4 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: Janice Salimbangon
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2013Representative, 4th District · Cebu
2016Representative, 4th District · Cebu

Mayor · Tuburan, Cebu

Democrito DiamanteDanny Diamante

Moderate risk · 4 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: Danny Diamante
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Tuburan
2016Mayor · Tuburan

Mayor · City of Carcar, Cebu

Nicepuro ApuraMercy Apura

Moderate risk · 4 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 · City of Carcar
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Mercy Apura

2013Mayor · Borbon
2013Mayor · City of Carcar
2016Mayor · City of Carcar
2019Vice Mayor · City of Carcar

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Tabuelan, Cebu

Raul GeronaRex Casiano Gerona

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

’25

+2Raul Gerona and Rex Casiano Gerona traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 15 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Tabuelan
2016Vice Mayor · Tabuelan
2019Mayor · Tabuelan
2022Mayor · Tabuelan

Representative, 1st District ⇄ Vice Governor · Davao de Oro

Maricar ZamoraWay Zamora

Moderate risk · 4 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

●

’25

+2Maricar Zamora and Way Zamora traded Representative, 1st District and Vice Governor in 2019
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 15 straight years

2016Representative, 1st District · Davao de Oro
2019Vice Governor · Davao de Oro
2022Representative, 1st District · Davao de Oro
2025Representative, 1st District · Davao de Oro

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 →