How dynasties fared in the May 2010 elections

Part 2 of a 3-part series on the biggest winners and losers in the last elections. Of the 64 political families that had two or more victorious members in the last elections, only the Ampatuan family and the Singsons of Ilocos Sur had more than 10 winning relatives. The Ampatuans had the most, winning 15 local posts in Maguindanao, including one of the two congressional seats. The clan implicated in the massacre that occurred last November in the Maguindanao town named after them was the subject of the first part of this report, which was based on a GMA News Research study on how political families fared in the May 2010 elections. We identified the biggest winners and losers among the country’s political families after the May 10 vote. In more than a few places, members of rival dynasties simply replaced each other. The Singsons led by returning governor Luis “Chavit" Singson have 11 winners: a governor, three district representatives, four mayors, and three vice mayors. The arch enemies of the Ampatuans, the Mangudadatus of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, have nine winners led by Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu and Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto Mangudadatu. The family also has a district representative, four mayors and two vice mayors sitting in July. Esmael defeated Datu Ombra Sinsuat, an Ampatuan ally who was substituted for Andal Ampatuan Jr. as gubernatorial candidate after the latter was arrested in relation to the massacre that claimed the lives of Esmael’s wife and two sisters. The Petilla-Cari-Loreto-Garin clan of Iloilo and Leyte provinces has eight winners: a governor, a vice governor, two district representatives, three mayors and a vice mayor. Ecleos to lose positions they just won? The Ecleos extended their dynastic grip on Dinagat Island with the victory of seven clan members: they will hold the posts of governor, vice governor, lone district representative, three mayors and a vice mayor. But they may be on the verge of being legally disenfranchised. On February 10, the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional the law creating Dinagat Island province for failing to comply with the territorial and population requirements under the Local Government Code. Dinagat Island was created in 2006 based on a bill of then Surigao del Norte First District Rep. Glenda Ecleo, who just assumed the seat of governor vacated by her daughter, Geraldine Ecleo-Villaroman. It was carved out of Surigao del Norte’s first district. The ruling became final on May 12, when the justices denied the motions for reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General and then governor Geraldine. A Comelec source said special elections will be held in Surigao del Norte so votes from Dinagat Island will be included in the tally for the affected provincial and congressional posts. Balindongs, Jalosjoses and Marcos-Romualdezes Three prominent families each has six relatives who won: Balindong of Lanao del Sur, Jalosjos of Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay and the Marcos-Romualdez of Ilocos Sur and Leyte. The Marcos family was able to clinch a national post for the first time since the ouster of Ferdinand Sr. from the presidency in 1986. From their Zamboanga del Norte base, the Jalosjos family branched out to Zamboanga Sibugay province and trounced members of the most prominent political family in that province—the Hofers. Seven clans each have five winning relatives:

Del Rosario of Davao del Norte and Isabela

Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte

Durano of Cebu

Dy of Isabela

Estrada of San Juan City and Laguna

Ortega of La Union

Plaza of Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte There were few surprises in the above cases because nearly all seven families were already well-entrenched in their respective localities. The exception: The Dy dynasty was able to regain the highest post in the province after defeating incumbent Gov. Grace Padaca, a former radio broadcaster who had ended the reign of the Dys by winning in the 2004 elections, only to lose in 2010. Padaca had governed in a provincial sea of Dys controlling other positions in the province, all plotting to defeat her in the next election. The Estradas (as in former president Joseph Ejercito Estrada) captured Laguna’s highest seat in an upset win. Estrada nephew Emilio Ramon "E.R." Ejercito III is the new governor after running for a provincial post for the first time and bested bets from Laguna’s two well-entrenched clans: Dennis Lazaro, Laguna provincial administrator and son of outgoing three-term governor Teresita Lazaro, and former senator and Laguna governor Jose “Joey" Lina. Ejercito was Pagsanjan mayor for three terms; his wife Girlie took over the post after winning in the May polls. Aquino and Arroyo

Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, QC Rep. Feliciano Belmonte, and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Lia Mañalac/File

Among the 10 families with four winners are the Aquino-Cojuangco clan of Tarlac and Pangasinan and the Macapagal-Arroyo clan whose members won in Pampanga, Camarines Sur, Negros Occidental and Pangasinan. Aquino scion Noynoy Aquino, of course, is now the 15th President of the Republic, while former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now congresswoman from Pampanga. Each clan has three members who will sit in the House of Representatives. Clans with 4 winning family members:

Aquino-Cojuangco of Tarlac and Pangasinan

Espina of Biliran

Garcia of Cebu

Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga, Camarines Sur, Negros Occidental and Pangasinan

Marañon of Negros Occidental

Sangki of Maguindanao

Seachon-Lanete of Masbate

Bernos of Abra

Sinsuat of Maguindanao

Mastura of Maguindanao At least 23 families each have three winning members, including those who have one family member clinching a national post: Binay of Makati, Defensor of Iloilo, Osmeña of Cebu, Revilla of Cavite. They also include families who will control all major local posts (governor + Lone District representative + mayor of capital/major city): Romualdo of Camiguin and Angara of Aurora. Among the 16 families with two victorious family members, seven are based in Metro Manila:

Belmonte of Quezon City

Calixto of Pasay City

Cayetano of Taguig City

Gatchalian of Valenzuela City

Oreta of Malabon City

Tiangco of Navotas City

Villar-Aguilar of Las Piñas City The Recto clan of Batangas, the Enriles of Cagayan as well as the Joson and Umali families in Nueva Ecija also fall under this category. Biggest losers: Gordon, Deloso, Piñol

Richard Gordon (left). GMANews.TV/File

Dynasties can be defeated. Four members of the Gordon clan—all incumbents in their last terms—found themselves out of power for the next three years following their defeats in May. They are led by two defeated presidential candidates, sixth-placer and then-senator Richard Gordon and his nephew, bottom-dweller JC de los Reyes, then an Olongapo City councilor. Then Zambales Vice Gov. Anne Marie Gordon, Richard’s sister-in-law, was unsuccessful in her bid to unseat Maria Milagros “Mitos" Magsaysay, the first district representative. Then Olongapo City Vice Mayor Cynthia Cajudo, Richard’s cousin, also failed in her reelection bid. Richard’s sibling James Jr. won in his reelection as Olongapo City mayor. Another nephew of Richard Gordon and JC’s sibling, James de los Reyes, won as Olongapo City councilor. Also in Zambales, four members of the Deloso clan lost, led by then Gov. Amor Deloso, who failed in his reelection bid opposite former Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane. Only one of Amor’s three children who were candidates for local posts won: provincial prosecutor Ad Hebert Deloso who ran for mayor of Iba town. Daughter and former vice governor Cheryl Deloso-Montalla lost her candidacy for second district representative while son Renoir Deloso failed to clinch the vice mayoralty post in Botolan. Amor’s nephew and then second district provincial board member Jury Deloso lost his candidacy for vice governor. In North Cotabato, seven out of the 11 Piñol brothers ran for local posts. Four of them lost. The losers are led by two who were then incumbents: Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol, who failed in his bid to reclaim the gubernatorial post that he held for three terms from 1998 to 2007, and re-electionist second district Rep. Bernardo Piñol Jr.

Former Cotabato Vice Gov. Manny Piñol. Danny Pata/File

Emmanuel Piñol was defeated by Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, former first district representative. Ferdinand Sr. and Patricio Piñol lost their candidacies for Matalam mayor and Kidapawan City vice mayor, respectively. Those who won were re-electionist mayors Efren Piñol of Magpet and Joselito Piñol of M’lang as well as Gerardo Piñol for M’lang councilor. Three Barbers brothers all lost Five political families each have three members who lost in the May elections: Barbers of Surigao del Norte and Makati City, Carloto of Zamboanga del Norte, Dumpit of La Union, Hofer of Zamboanga Sibugay and Veloso of Leyte and Siquijor. The three sons of the late senator Robert Barbers, all of whom are also named Robert, lost: re-electionist Surigao del Norte governor Robert Ace Barbers; former Philippine Tourism Authority CEO and general manager Robert Dean Barbers for Makati City first district representative; and former Surigao del Norte governor Robert Lyndon Barbers for Surigao City mayor. Except for Dean, the brothers were defeated by members of a single clan. Retired DepEd regional director Sol Matugas won as Surigao del Norte governor while her brother-in-law, engineer Ernesto Matugas, is now Surigao City mayor. Sons of convicted rapist Romeo Jalosjos win in Zamboanga The two children of the first governor of Zamboanga Sibugay, George Hofer, were also beaten by members of a single clan—the prominent Jalosjos family. The Jalosjos clan is the most prominent political family in the neighboring province of Zamboanga del Norte. Then incumbent Second District Rep. Dulce Ann Hofer failed in her attempt to take over her father’s post, losing to Rommel Jalosjos, a son of convicted child rapist and former Zamboanga del Norte congressman Romeo Jalosjos. The Hofer family lost its hold on the second district congressional post after provincial administrator George Hofer II was defeated by then Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte Mayor Romeo Jalosjos Jr., another son of the former congressman. Patriarch George Hofer ran for mayor of Ipil town but lost. It was Hofer who passed the bill that became the basis for the creation of the province in 2001. He became its first governor and won reelection in 2004 and 2007. He just finished his third and last term. Parent-child losers GMA News Research identified at least 21 more political families with two members who lost on May 10. Among them are families closely identified with President Arroyo. Then incumbent Rep. Matias Defensor failed in his reelection bid in Quezon City’s third district while his son and Philippine National Railways chair Michael Defensor lost his candidacy for that city’s mayoralty post. Arroyo’s former chief presidential legal counsel Raul Gonzalez failed in his bid to become Iloilo City mayor while son Raul Jr. failed in his reelection bid as lone district representative. Former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita was trounced when he attempted to return to his old post of Batangas first district representative. Son Edwin also lost his bid for the vice governor post. The Dilangalens of Maguindanao, Acostas of Bukidnon, Agbayanis of Pangasinan, Mathays of Quezon City, Alfelors of Camarines Sur, Dominguezes of Mt. Province and Mambas of Cagayan are also in this group. Most of the clans with multiple losers lost to other families with several generations of politicians, giving credence to the metaphor that our democracy is a merry-go-round of the same families taking turns in controlling the levers of power. The image would seem to apply not only to numerous localities, but even to the presidency where the son of a former president just succeeded the daughter of a former president. – Researched and reported by Karen Tiongson and Allan Crispulo Vallarta, GMA News Research, edited by Howie Severino, GMANews.TV.