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

Mayor · Sanchez Mira, Cagayan

Asela SacramedAbe Bagasin

High risk · 6 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 · Sanchez Mira
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Abe Bagasin
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2016Mayor · Sanchez Mira
2019Mayor · Sanchez Mira
2022Vice Mayor · Sanchez Mira

Mayor · Gattaran, Cagayan

Matthew NolascoSamuel Siddayao

High risk · 6 pts

Swapped seatsReturned to the seatTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+1Won another seat the next election: Vice Mayor · Gattaran
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2016Mayor · Gattaran
2019Mayor · Gattaran
2022Vice Mayor · Gattaran
2025Mayor · Gattaran

Mayor · Salcedo, Eastern Samar

Melchor MergalMaria Mergal

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Maria Mergal
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2016Mayor · Salcedo
2019Mayor · Salcedo
2025Mayor · Salcedo

Mayor · San Vicente, Ilocos Sur

Jose Tabanda III Jonan Tabanda

High risk · 6 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 · San Vicente
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jonan Tabanda
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2016Mayor · San Vicente
2019Mayor · San Vicente
2022Vice Mayor · San Vicente
2025Vice Mayor · San Vicente

Mayor · Matungao, Lanao del Norte

Aisha Azis Jaber Azis

High risk · 6 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 · Matungao
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Jaber Azis
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2016Mayor · Matungao
2019Mayor · Matungao
2022Vice Mayor · Matungao
2025Vice Mayor · Matungao

Vice Mayor · Matungao, Lanao del Norte

Jaber Azis Aisha Azis

High risk · 6 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: Mayor · Matungao
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Aisha Azis
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2016Vice Mayor · Matungao
2019Vice Mayor · Matungao
2022Mayor · Matungao
2025Mayor · Matungao

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Matungao, Lanao del Norte

Jaber Azis Aisha Azis

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Jaber Azis and Aisha Azis traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2022
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 24 straight years

2016Vice Mayor · Matungao
2019Vice Mayor · Matungao
2022Mayor · Matungao
2025Mayor · Matungao

Mayor · City of Valenzuela, NCR, Third District

Rexlon GatchalianWes Gatchalian

High risk · 6 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: Representative, 1st District · City of Valenzuela
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Wes Gatchalian
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2016Mayor · City of Valenzuela
2019Mayor · City of Valenzuela
2022Representative, 1st District · City of Valenzuela

Mayor ⇄ Representative, 1st District · City of Valenzuela, NCR, Third District

Rexlon GatchalianWes Gatchalian

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Rexlon Gatchalian and Wes Gatchalian traded Mayor and Representative, 1st District in 2022
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 24 straight years

2016Mayor · City of Valenzuela
2019Mayor · City of Valenzuela
2022Representative, 1st District · City of Valenzuela

Mayor · City of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental

Guido ReyesMikoy Reyes

High risk · 6 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 Governor · Negros Oriental
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Mikoy Reyes
+2Surname held this office 24 straight years

2016Mayor · City of Guihulngan
2019Mayor · City of Guihulngan
2022Vice Governor · Negros Oriental

Vice Mayor · Bataraza, Palawan

Kennedy JaafarJohnmain Jaafar

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Johnmain Jaafar
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2016Vice Mayor · Bataraza
2019Vice Mayor · Bataraza
2025Vice Mayor · Bataraza

Vice Mayor ⇄ Mayor · Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi

Nur-Fitra Ahaja Alshefa Pajiji

High risk · 6 pts

Seat exchangeTerm limit 2022

’01

’04

’07

’10

●

’13

●

’16

●

’19

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Nur-Fitra Ahaja and Alshefa Pajiji traded Vice Mayor and Mayor in 2022
+1Both share the same surname
+2Surname held these offices 21 straight years

2016Vice Mayor · Sibutu
2019Vice Mayor · Sibutu
2022Mayor · Sibutu
2025Mayor · Sibutu

Mayor · City of Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte

Nene JalosjosBullet Jalosjos

High risk · 6 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: Governor · Zamboanga del Norte
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Bullet Jalosjos
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2016Mayor · City of Dapitan
2019Mayor · City of Dapitan
2022Governor · Zamboanga del Norte

Mayor · San Francisco, Cebu

Aly Arquillano Al Arquillano

High risk · 6 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 · San Francisco
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Al Arquillano
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · San Francisco
2016Mayor · San Francisco
2019Vice Mayor · San Francisco
2022Vice Mayor · San Francisco
2025Vice Mayor · San Francisco

Mayor · Sibunag, Guimaras

Luben VilchesAnnabelle Vilches

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Annabelle Vilches
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Sibunag
2016Mayor · Sibunag
2025Mayor · Sibunag

Mayor · Maigo, Lanao del Norte

Rafael RizaldaIna Miflores

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

●

’01

●

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ina Miflores
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Maigo
2016Mayor · Maigo
2025Mayor · Maigo

Mayor · Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur

Nhazruddin Maglangit Raida Maglangit

High risk · 6 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 · Kapatagan
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Raida Maglangit
+2Surname held this office 27 straight years

2013Mayor · Kapatagan
2016Mayor · Kapatagan
2019Vice Mayor · Kapatagan
2025Vice Mayor · Kapatagan

Mayor · Picong, Lanao del Sur

Alinader BalindongMesron Balindong

High risk · 6 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 · Picong
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Mesron Balindong
+2Surname held this office 21 straight years

2013Mayor · Picong
2016Mayor · Picong
2019Vice Mayor · Picong

Mayor · Tolosa, Leyte

Erwin OcañaMaria Alcantara

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

’22

●

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Maria Alcantara
+2Won the same office back in 2025
+1Surname held this office 18 straight years

2013Mayor · Tolosa
2016Mayor · Tolosa
2025Mayor · Tolosa

Mayor · Talayan, Maguindanao

Tungkang MidtimbangAli Midtimbang

High risk · 6 pts

Same-surname successorReturned to the seatTerm limit 2019

’01

’04

’07

●

’10

●

’13

●

’16

’19

●

’22

’25

+1Reached the 3-term limit
+2Same-surname successor took the seat: Ali Midtimbang
+2Won the same office back in 2022
+1Surname held this office 15 straight years

2013Mayor · Talayan
2016Mayor · Talayan
2022Mayor · Talayan

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 →