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

1,482 seat moves

Each strip shows who won the seat in each election from 2001 to 2025.

Search name or placeRisk levelPatternProvince

This official (●)Same surname (S)Someone elseNo result on file

Highest risk Most recent

Vice Mayor · San Isidro, Abra

Elixer PacsaElmerante Pacsa

High risk · 5 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: Elmerante Pacsa
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · San Isidro
2022Vice Mayor · San Isidro

Mayor · Villaviciosa, Abra

Jose Lagen Jr.Jolet Lagen

High risk · 5 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: Jolet Lagen
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2019Mayor · Villaviciosa
2022Mayor · Villaviciosa

Vice Mayor · Boliney, Abra

Julius Balao-AsBenipaz Balao-As

High risk · 5 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: Benipaz Balao-As
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Boliney
2022Vice Mayor · Boliney

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · San Juan, Abra

Ari Bautista Arthur Bautista

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Ari Bautista and Arthur Bautista traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 21 straight years

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

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Santiago, Agusan del Norte

Franklin Lim Babie Lim

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

●

’22

’25

+2Franklin Lim and Babie Lim traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2019Mayor · Santiago
2022Vice Mayor · Santiago
2025Mayor · Santiago

Mayor · Veruela, Agusan del Sur

Myrna MondejarLoloy Mondejar

High risk · 5 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: Loloy Mondejar
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Mayor · Veruela
2022Mayor · Veruela

Vice Mayor · Libacao, Aklan

Vincent Navarosa Charito Navarosa

High risk · 5 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 · Libacao
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Charito Navarosa
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Libacao
2022Vice Mayor · Libacao
2025Mayor · Libacao

Mayor · Tipo-Tipo, Basilan

Arcam Istarul Ingatun-Lukman Istarul

High risk · 5 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 · Tipo-Tipo
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ingatun-Lukman Istarul
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

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

Vice Mayor · Ballesteros, Cagayan

Violeta UniteVincent Unite

High risk · 5 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: Vincent Unite
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Ballesteros
2022Vice Mayor · Ballesteros

Vice Mayor · Peñablanca, Cagayan

Marilyn Taguinod Intoy Taguinod

High risk · 5 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 · Peñablanca
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Intoy Taguinod
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Peñablanca
2022Vice Mayor · Peñablanca
2025Mayor · Peñablanca

Mayor · Solana, Cagayan

Jennalyn Carag Meynard Carag

High risk · 5 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 · Solana
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Meynard Carag
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

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

Vice Mayor · Iguig, Cagayan

Judith Trinidad Ferdinand Trinidad

High risk · 5 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 · Iguig
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ferdinand Trinidad
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Iguig
2022Vice Mayor · Iguig
2025Mayor · Iguig

Mayor · Iguig, Cagayan

Ferdie TrinidadJudith Trinidad

High risk · 5 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: Judith Trinidad
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2019Mayor · Iguig
2022Mayor · Iguig

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Solana, Cagayan

Meynard Carag Jennalyn Carag

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2025

’01

●

’04

’07

’10

’13

●

’16

●

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Meynard Carag and Jennalyn Carag traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2025
+1Both share the same surname
+1Surname held these offices 18 straight years

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

Mayor · Liloan, Cebu

Christina FrascoAljew Frasco

High risk · 5 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: Aljew Frasco
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Mayor · Liloan
2022Mayor · Liloan

Mayor · Badian, Cebu

Carmencita Lumain Jerome Librando

High risk · 5 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: Jerome Librando
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2019Mayor · Badian
2022Mayor · Badian

Vice Mayor · Kapalong, Davao del Norte

Edgardo Timbol Jr.Tess Timbol

High risk · 5 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 · Kapalong
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Tess Timbol
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2019Vice Mayor · Kapalong
2022Vice Mayor · Kapalong
2025Mayor · Kapalong

Mayor · Maslog, Eastern Samar

Rac SantiagoSeptemio Santiago

High risk · 5 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: Septemio Santiago
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Mayor · Maslog
2022Mayor · Maslog

Mayor · San Lorenzo, Guimaras

Ninfa GajoJimmy Gajo

High risk · 5 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: Jimmy Gajo
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2019Mayor · San Lorenzo
2022Mayor · San Lorenzo

Representative, Lone District · Guimaras

Lucille Nava Rahman Nava

High risk · 5 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 · Guimaras
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Rahman Nava
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2019Representative, Lone District · Guimaras
2022Representative, Lone District · Guimaras
2025Governor · Guimaras

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 →