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 · Talipao, Sulu

Tambrin TulawieSitti Tulawie

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Sitti Tulawie
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Vice Mayor · Talipao
2013Vice Mayor · Talipao

Mayor · Alegria, Surigao del Norte

Dominador EsmaReneboy Esma

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Reneboy Esma
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · Alegria
2013Mayor · Alegria
2019Vice Mayor · Alegria

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Mainit, Surigao del Norte

Crisanta Mondano Ramon Mondano

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+2Crisanta Mondano and Ramon Mondano traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2016
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 21 straight years

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

Mayor · Moncada, Tarlac

Benito AquinoLita Aquino

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Lita Aquino
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2010Mayor · Moncada
2013Mayor · Moncada

Representative, 2nd District ⇄ Governor · Tarlac

Susan YapVictor Yap

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+2Susan Yap and Victor Yap traded Representative, 2nd District and Governor in 2016
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2013Representative, 2nd District · Tarlac
2016Governor · Tarlac
2019Governor · Tarlac
2022Governor · Tarlac
2025Mayor · City of Tarlac

Mayor · Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi

Kuyoh PajijiAlshefa Pajiji

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Alshefa Pajiji
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · Sibutu
2013Mayor · Sibutu

Vice Mayor · Katipunan, Zamboanga del Norte

Patchito EguiaCrisostomo Eguia

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Mayor · Katipunan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Crisostomo Eguia
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2010Vice Mayor · Katipunan
2013Vice Mayor · Katipunan
2016Mayor · Katipunan
2019Mayor · Katipunan

Mayor · Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur

Nacianceno Pacalioga Jr.Mark Pacalioga

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Dumingag
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Mark Pacalioga
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2010Mayor · Dumingag
2013Mayor · Dumingag
2016Vice Mayor · Dumingag

Mayor · Dimataling, Zamboanga del Sur

Haniel BayaMaria Baya

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2016

●

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Dimataling
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Maria Baya
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2010Mayor · Dimataling
2013Mayor · Dimataling
2016Vice Mayor · Dimataling

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur

Joel SulongDaylinda Sulong

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2016

●

’01

●

’04

●

’07

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+2Joel Sulong and Daylinda Sulong traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2016
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2013Vice Mayor · Lapuyan
2016Mayor · Lapuyan
2022Mayor · Lapuyan

Mayor · Siay, Zamboanga Sibugay

Julius AcostaJarjar Acosta

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jarjar Acosta
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2010Mayor · Siay
2013Mayor · Siay

Mayor · Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay

Randy ClimacoCarlnan Climaco

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2016

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

●

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Carlnan Climaco
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2010Mayor · Tungawan
2013Mayor · Tungawan

Mayor · Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte

Reinario RosalesAvelina Rosales

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2013

’01

●

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Avelina Rosales
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2007Mayor · Las Nieves
2010Mayor · Las Nieves

Governor · Agusan del Norte

Erlpe AmanteMaria Amante

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2013

’01

●

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Representative, 2nd District · Agusan del Norte
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Maria Amante
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2007Governor · Agusan del Norte
2010Governor · Agusan del Norte
2013Representative, 2nd District · Agusan del Norte
2016Representative, 2nd District · Agusan del Norte

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte

Aristotle MontanteJenry Montante

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2013

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+2Aristotle Montante and Jenry Montante traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2013
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2007Mayor · Kitcharao
2010Vice Mayor · Kitcharao
2013Mayor · Kitcharao
2016Mayor · Kitcharao

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Santiago, Agusan del Norte

Zenaida LimFranklin Lim

High risk · 5 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2013

’01

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

+2Zenaida Lim and Franklin Lim traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2013
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 27 straight years

2007Vice Mayor · Santiago
2010Vice Mayor · Santiago
2013Mayor · Santiago
2019Vice Mayor · Santiago

Mayor · Pilar, Bataan

Carlos PizarroAlicia Pizarro

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2013

’01

●

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Alicia Pizarro
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2007Mayor · Pilar
2010Mayor · Pilar

Mayor · Valencia, Bohol

Henrietta GanMaria Lim

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2013

’01

●

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Maria Lim
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2007Mayor · Valencia
2010Mayor · Valencia

Mayor · Danao, Bohol

Louis GonzagaNatividad Gonzaga

High risk · 5 pts

Swapped seatsSame-surname successorTerm limit 2013

’01

●

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Danao
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Natividad Gonzaga
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2007Mayor · Danao
2010Mayor · Danao
2013Vice Mayor · Danao

Mayor · Plaridel, Bulacan

Anastacia VistanJocell Vistan

High risk · 5 pts

Same-surname successorTerm limit 2013

’01

●

’04

●

’07

●

’10

’13

’16

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jocell Vistan
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2007Mayor · Plaridel
2010Mayor · Plaridel

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 →