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2025 Marikina local elections
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Local elections are scheduled to be held in Marikina on May 12, 2025, as part of the 2025 Philippine general election. The electorate will elect a mayor, a vice mayor, sixteen members of the Marikina City Council, and two district representatives to the House of Representatives of the Philippines. The officials elected will assume their respective offices on June 30, 2025, for a three-year term.
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The election will be held during the suspension of term-limited Mayor Marcelino Teodoro and his administration. Regardless, his coalition is contesting the election as Team Marikina City. Representative Maan Teodoro and her running mate Marion Andres lead the ticket as members of the National Unity Party. Representative Stella Quimbo and former mayor Del de Guzman, affiliates of Lakas–CMD, are challenging the administration as Team Bagong Marikina.
The campaign period was defined by fierce competition between the two coalitions. Major local issues throughout the contest included the local debt, misinformation, and support for the local shoe industry. Allegations of vote buying through the misuse of welfare programs marred both sides of the campaign.
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Background
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In the 2022 elections, Marcelino Teodoro and Marion Andres were elected to the mayoralty and vice mayoralty respectively, both winning with wide margins against their closest opponents.[2] Their coalition, Team MarCy, attained outright control of the city council, winning 14 of the 16 elective seats in the legislature.[3] Nationally, a majority of the Marikina electorate voted for the UniTeam ticket of Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte.[4][5]
Suspension of the administration
On May 15, 2024, a technical malversation complaint was filed against Teodoro and three other city officials before the Office of the Ombudsman, arguing that a 2024 budgetary ordinance passed by the Marikina City Council allocated ₱130 million in PhilHealth reimbursements to "IT equipment, repair and maintenance of infrastructure and/or donations," rather than the improvement the city's healthcare system, thereby violating a provision of the Universal Health Care Act.[6] Teodoro's camp derided the complaint as a "mere product of misapprehension and misunderstanding of the facts."[6] Mayors for Good Governance, a group of local executives, deemed the complaints politically motivated and described Teodoro as transparent and accountable.[7]
On March 25, 2025, three days before the start of the campaign period, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a preventive suspension order against Teodoro, Andres, and their allies in the city council, in effect for six months, as a response to the complaint.[8][9] The constitutional body deemed that there was "strong evidence showing their guilt" which warranted the removal of the suspended officials from office, hence their granting of the suspension order.[10] In response, the Department of the Interior and Local Government appointed twin councilors Rommel and Ronnie Acuña as acting mayor and vice mayor, respectively, to ensure the continuity of government operations during the suspension.[11][12]
Teodoro's camp condemned the suspension as "a broader effort to derail" his coalition's campaign.[13][14] The Mayors for Good Governance urged the office to conduct a "just and transparent investigation" on the complaint against Teodoro.[15][16]
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Coalitions
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The filing of certificates of candidacy were conducted from October 1 to 8, 2024, from which local slates were formalized and announced.[17]
Team Bagong Marikina
Representative Stella Quimbo and her husband, Former Representative Miro are running for mayor and representative respectively under Team Bagong Marikina (lit. 'Team New Marikina'; also stylized as Team Bagong Marik1na).[18][19] During the campaign, Quimbo's coalition endorsed Senator Koko Pimentel as their candidate for representative in the first district.[20]
Team Marikina City
Incumbent Mayor Marcelino Teodoro and his allies have been affiliated with the United Nationalist Alliance since 2022, following his ouster from the Nationalist People's Coalition after a verbal row with former mayor and former Representative Bayani Fernando over the aftermath of Typhoon Ulysses two years prior.[21] With Teodoro term-limited, his wife Representative Marjorie Ann will lead the administration ticket. The administration will contest the election as Team Marikina City, being affiliated with the National Unity Party, and being part of the wider Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.[22]
Coalitions dissolved before the election
Teodoro–Pimentel
Following the landslide victory of his Team MarCy coalition in 2022, Teodoro's administration has partnered with Senator Koko Pimentel and his wife, diplomat Kathryna, in implementing projects in the city, including a health caravan in April 2024.[23] After Teodoro filed to run in the first district for the elections to the House of Representatives, Pimentel followed suit, pitting the two together and rendering the partnership moot.[24]
In an October 2024 interview, amid the filing of the certificates of candidacies, the former Pimentel revealed that he and Teodoro had agreed that he would run for representative in the first district while Teodoro would run in the second after forming informal arrangements from December 2023 to February 2024.[24] In response, Teodoro clarified that Pimentel's camp left the alliance on July 28, leaving the administration without a candidate in the first district, hence his decision to contest the congressional seat there.[25]
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Tickets
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Candidates italicized indicate incumbents seeking re-election.
Other candidates
| Position | # | Candidate | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vice mayor | 3. | Annie Retes | Independent | |
| Representative (2nd district) |
1. | Mauro Arce | Independent | |
| 2. | Jose Jaime Enage | Independent | ||
| Councilor (1st district) | ||||
| 3. | Jahn Alejaga | Independent | ||
| 4. | Rosie Aquino | Independent | ||
| 9. | Benedicto dela Cruz | Independent | ||
| 14. | Tope Ilagan | Independent | ||
| 15. | Imee Mascariña | Independent | ||
| Councilor (2nd district) |
8. | Ed Gillera | Independent | |
| 9. | Ram Haveria Jr. | Independent | ||
| 10. | Jimsen Jison | Independent | ||
| 12. | Beny Madrigal | Independent | ||
| 13. | Marvie Madrigal | Independent | ||
| 16. | Rene Mira | Makabayan | ||
| 18. | Jep Ordoñez | Independent | ||
| 20. | Jenilyn Retes | Independent | ||
| 22. | Susan Romero | Independent | ||
| 23. | Nico Rondina | Independent | ||
| 24. | Dindo Rosales | Independent | ||
| 25. | Josephine San Diego | Independent | ||
| 26. | Patricia Senerata | Independent | ||
| 28. | Greg Teves | Independent | ||
| 31. | George Villanueva | Independent | ||
| 32. | Cris Vitangcol | Independent | ||
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Campaign
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The campaign period for local elections began on March 28, 2025, and ended on May 10.[26] The contest has been competitive between the two major political factions in local politics—the National Unity Party-affiliated Teodoro camp and the Lakas–CMD-affiliated Quimbo camp.[27] With each faction led by couples, James Patrick Cruz of Rappler has described Marikina as being under a "conjugal leadership," regardless of the election's outcome.[27] During the campaign, the candidates and coalitions held motorcades in support of their candidacies.[19]
The election period has been defined as being more fiercely contested than past elections, owing to the legal battles that characterized its run.[28]
Campaign issues
Messaging and themes
Team Bagong Marikina
Team Bagong Marikina's platform revolved around managing the city's debt, carrying out their vision of transforming Marikina into a "business-friendly" start-up city, and attending to the needs of the city's health centers.[29] The coalition aims to cut business taxes and secure adequate funding from the national government to alleviate the city's ₱3.6 billion outstanding and to fund local projects.[30] Moreover, the coalition expressed support for the Wawa Dam project as a means of flood control and attracting businesses and investments into the city.[31]
In an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Stella criticized the incumbent administration for "blocking" the programs she pushed in her capacity as a representative and cited "political survival" as a motivation for seeking the mayoralty at the same time as her husband Miro's congressional bid, accusing the Teodoros of attempting to erase the couple from local politics.[32]
The Quimbo campaign was characterized by its media appearances in contrast to the Teodoros' preference for alliance-sanctioned events.[33] Stella cited misinformation as a top concern in the campaign, having been the subject of fake graphics that circulated on social media.[34][35] The Pimentel campaign in the first district has centered itself around the revival of the shoe industry, financing local initiatives that aim to boost the industry and opening public exhibitions of local products.[36][37][38][39]
Team Marikina City
Team Marikina City's platform sought to make the city "climate-resilient" and more business-friendly with "digitalization" and "ease of doing business" policies.[22] Before the campaign period began, supporters of Marcelino Teodoro gathered at the Marikina Freedom Park for a protest and prayer vigil over the mayor's suspension.[40]
Supporters of the administration, including the Association of Clans in Marikina, have defended the Teodoros amid their legal battles, condemning their suspension as "dirty politics," regarding it as being politically motivated and slanderous.[41]
Support for the local shoe industry
Organizations and unions such as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry have expressed disappointment for the "inaction" of past administrations in addressing the concerns stemming from the stagnant Marikina Shoe Industry, which, while ubiquitous, has been declining since trade liberalization in the late 20th century.[28][42] In contrast, the Marikina-based Philippine Footwear Federation Incorporated criticized media outlets for not reaching out to them.[43] The organization deemed their reports unbalanced against the incumbent local government, whose programs and assistance they deemed were central to an increase in their income and market reach.[43]
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Election-related concerns
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Allegations of corruption
Former Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo has urged Ombudsman Samuel Martires to investigate the wealth of the Quimbos, citing "unexplained wealth" reflected by luxury goods often worn by Stella.[44] Former Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Felipe Medalla, who subsequently endorsed Quimbo in the mayoral race, defended her, attributing her wealth to her consulting income from her academic career and deeming such allegations as sexist.[45]
Politicization of welfare programs
Quimbo camp
"We find this alarming because we, public school teachers, are not poor or in crisis and do not fall under the usual DSWD guidelines for this kind of help."
an anonymous teacher quoted by GMA News
"There is no adequate basis for the report, nor confirmed groups or truth. This is defamation, not legitimate journalism."
Marikina Federation of Public School Teachers, in a subsequent statement
On April 25, alleged incidents of vote buying and abuse of state resources from the camp of Team Bagong Marikina prompted the COMELEC to issue a show-cause order against Stella and Miro Quimbo to clarify their actions on the matter.[46][47] In response, the Quimbos released a joint statement denying the claims and ensuring their compliance with the order.[48]
On April 30, a 20-year-old delivery rider died of cardiac arrest at a payout for a financial assistance program led by Stella at the Marikina Sports Center in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The event coordinators received criticism online for the event's conduct, alleging that the organizers prioritized damage control over proper emergency response.[49][50]
On May 3, GMA Integrated News reported that a group of public school teachers in the city urged the COMELEC and the Department of Education to investigate Stella's handling of the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program of the DSWD in her district.[51] The teachers who requested anonymity from the site, fearing reprisal, stated that the distribution of aid under the program targeted teachers who do not satisfy the program's requirements and thus may be tantamount to vote buying.[52][53] The following day, the Marikina Federation of Public School Teachers distanced itself from the reported complaint and criticized the article for its use of anonymous sources, condemning the report as "irresponsible reporting".[54] The article itself was subsequently removed from the news site.[54] On May 7, a principal and a faculty president confirmed that the payout took place from April 21 to 23, both of which stated that they had verified the project after being persuaded that the project was "for their fellow teachers."[55]
Koko Pimentel has been criticized online for appearing at an orientation for the TUPAD program of the Department of Labor and Employment in Parang on the first day of the campaign period.[20]
Teodoro camp
On May 5, a member of a local media community, supported by eight signed affidavits, filed a complaint at the COMELEC alleging that Maan Teodoro engaged in vote buying during her campaign sorties.[56][57] The COMELEC subsequently issued a show cause order against Maan and Marcelino Teodoro on May 5 to clarify their actions on the matter.[58][59] Maan subsequently denied the allegations, deeming it politically motivated.[60] She expressed skepticism over the complaint's intentions, owing to how the claimant "openly identified" with Quimbo.[60][61]
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Debates and forums
On January 15, 2025, Rappler announced that they will organize a public forum for candidates for the mayoralty, vice mayoralty, and Congress on February 9.[62]
| P Participated A Absent I Invited NI Not invited |
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Mayoral election
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The incumbent mayor is Marcelino Teodoro, who has served since 2016 and was reelected in 2022 with 82.08% of the vote. Teodoro is term-limited and is barred from seeking re-election. Teodoro is also preventively suspended from the position, with Rommel Acuña being appointed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government as acting mayor. Acuña is seeking re-election to the city council. This will be the first election since 2010 in which an incumbent mayor is ineligible for re-election. Cristina Chi of the Philippine Star has assessed the mayoral race as a "high-stakes" battle.[63]
Media outlets, including the Philippine Daily Inquirer and the Manila Bulletin, have speculated that Representative Maan Teodoro will run for mayor and head the administration ticket in 2025.[64][65] Teodoro formally filed her certificate of candidacy for the office on October 7, 2024.[66]
Representative Stella Quimbo expressed her interest in running for mayor early in the race.[67][68] Despite facing scrutiny with her support of the Maharlika Wealth Fund and defense of Vice President Sara Duterte's use of confidential funds during the 19th Congress, Quimbo stated that she will remain with the Liberal Party for the 2025 election.[68][69] Her retention in the party was affirmed by party officials amid calls to sanction Quimbo as a party member, citing its recognition of the "freedom of expression and dissent".[70] Quimbo's husband, Miro, confirmed her bid for the mayoralty on July 22, 2024, prior to the 2024 State of the Nation Address.[63] She would file her candidacy on October 9 as a member of Lakas–CMD.[63][71]
Former mayor Marides Fernando was in talks for a mayoral run; she ultimately declined to launch a bid for the mayoralty and subsequently endorsed Quimbo.[72][73] Independent candidate Luisa Fajardo, a lawyer specializing in tribal customary who advocated for federalism, sought the office, but was not included in the ballot.[74][75][76]
Candidates
Declared
- Stella Quimbo (Lakas), incumbent representative for the second district[63][77]
- Maan Teodoro (NUP), incumbent representative for the first district[64][78]
Withdrew
- Luisa Fajardo (Independent), lawyer[75][76]
Declined
- Marides Fernando (Lakas), former mayor (endorsed Quimbo)[72][73]
Endorsements
Stella Quimbo (Lakas)
- Public officials
- Kit Belmonte, former representative from Quezon City's 6th district[79][80]
- Conchita Carpio-Morales, former ombudsman of the Philippines[81]
- Marides Fernando, former mayor of Marikina[73]
- Felipe Medalla, former governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas[45]
Maan Teodoro (NUP)
- Public officials
Polling
Results
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Vice mayoral election
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The incumbent vice mayor is Marion Andres, who has served since 2019 and was reelected in 2022 with 69.94% of the vote. Andres previously held the office from 2001 to 2010 under the administration of Marides Fernando. As the running mate of Maan Teodoro, Andres is running for re-election to a third consecutive (sixth nonconsecutive) term.[22] Andres is preventively suspended from the position, with Ronnie Acuña being appointed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government as acting vice mayor. Acuña is seeking re-election to the city council.
Del de Guzman, a former mayor and the running mate of Stella Quimbo, is challenging Andres for the office.[63] Independent Annie Retes, a lawyer specializing in tribal customary law, also launched a bid for the office as the running mate of Luisa Fajardo.[74][75][76]
Candidates
Declared
- Marion Andres (NUP), incumbent vice mayor[22]
- Del de Guzman (Lakas), former mayor[63]
- Annie Retes (Independent), laywer[75][76]
Results
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City Council election
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The city council is composed of 18 members, 16 of whom are elected through plurality block voting to serve three-year terms. The councilors represent the city's two councilor districts, which are coextensive with the congressional districts, with eight members being elected per district. Team MarCy, elected under the United Nationalist Alliance banner in 2022, held overall control of the council until March 26, 2025, when the suspension of all councilors under the alliance were suspended, allowing the Lakas–CMD-affiliated opposition to take control of the legislature.[9]
Overall results
First district
The first district is coextensive with the first congressional district. The incumbents are Rommel Acuña, Carl Africa, Jojo Banzon, Bodjie Bernardino, Cloyd Casimiro, Kate De Guzman, Samuel Ferriol, Manny Sarmiento, all of whom were elected in 2022 under Team MarCy. Among them, Bernadino and Sarmiento are term-limited and are barred from seeking re-election. Acuña left the council intraterm on March 26, 2025, to serve as acting mayor.[11][12]
Banzon, Casimiro, and de Guzman are seeking re-election under Team Marikina City.[22] They are joined by newcomers Adams Bernardino, Hazel Golangco, Ginny Santos Pioquinto, Rosette Sarmiento, and Pat Sicat.[22] Africa and Ferriol are seeking re-election under Team Bagong Marikina, together with Acuña, who is seeking a return to the council after his interim mayoralty, and neophytes Medick Ferrer, Bruce Fortuno, Ces Reyes, VJ Tambuli Sambinano, and Jasper So.[19]
Term-limited incumbents
- Bodjie Bernardino
- Manny Sarmiento
Candidates
Declared
- Team Bagong Marikina[19]
- Rommel Acuña, acting mayor and former councilor
- Carl Africa, incumbent councilor
- Medick Ferrer
- Sam Ferriol
- Bruce Fortuno
- Ces Reyes
- VJ Tambuli Sabiniano
- Jasper So
- Team Marikina City[22]
- Jojo Banzon, incumbent councilor
- Adams Bernardino
- Cloyd Casimiro, incumbent councilor
- Kate de Guzman, incumbent councilor
- Hazel Golangco
- Ginny Santos Pioquinto
- Rossette Sarmiento
- Pat Sicat
Results
Second district
The second district is coextensive with the second congressional district. The incumbents are Ronnie Acuña, Marife Dayao, Levy De Guzman, Donn Carlo Favis, Bong Magtubo, Angelito Nuñez, Larry Punzalan, and Elvis Tolentino, all of whom were elected in 2022, with a majority of members affiliated with Team MarCy, and a minority—composed of Acuña and Magtubo—being affiliated with Team Performance. Among them, De Guzman and Favis are term-limited are term-limited and are barred from seeking re-election. Acuña left the council intraterm on March 26, 2025, to serve as acting vice mayor.[11][12]
Dayao, Nuñez, Punzalan, and Tolentino are running for re-election under Team Marikina City, being joined by newcomers Jaren Feliciano, Estelita Makiramdam, Michael Mojica and Bogs Reyes.[19] Magtubo is seeking re-election under Team Bagong Marikina together with Acuña, who is seeking a return to the council after his interim vice mayoralty, and neophytes Ziffred Ancheta, Vincent Calanoga, Miguel De Guzman, Yuri Edullan, Rizza Teope, and Indigo Valentin.[19]
Term-limited incumbents
- Levy De Guzman
- Donn Carlo Favis, running for representative in the second district[87]
Candidates
Declared
- Team Bagong Marikina[19]
- Ronnie Acuña, acting vice mayor and former councilor
- Ziffred Ancheta, former barangay captain of Tumana and candidate for vice mayor in 2022
- Vincent Calanoga
- Miguel De Guzman
- Yuri Edullan
- Bong Magtubo, incumbent councilor
- Rizza Teope
- Indigo Valentin
- Team Marikina City[22]
- Fe Dayao, incumbent councilor
- Jaren Feliciano
- Estelita Makiramdam
- Michael Mojica
- Angel Nuñez, incumbent councilor
- Larry Punzalan, incumbent councilor
- Bogs Reyes, incumbent councilor
- Elvis Tolentino, incumbent councilor
Results
House of Representatives elections
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Coinciding with the local elections, two representatives from the city's two congressional districts will be elected to represent their respective districts in the House of Representatives in the 20th Congress. In the 2022 elections, Maan Teodoro and Stella Quimbo were elected to represent the first and second districts respectively. Both representatives are in the majority bloc in the 19th Congress.
First district
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The first district covers the barangays of Barangka, Calumpang, Industrial Valley Complex, Jesus de la Peña, Malanday, San Roque, Santa Elena, Santo Niño, and Tañong. The incumbent representative is Maan Teodoro, who has served since 2022 and was elected that year with 73.61% of the vote. Teodoro is eligible for re-election to a second term but will not seek re-election to run for mayor. Marcelino Teodoro, the outgoing mayor and husband of the incumbent representative, was slated to run for the seat under the National Unity Party, an affiliate of the national Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.[88][89][90]
Senator Koko Pimentel, whom briefly entered in an alliance with the local administration, is challenging Teodoro for the seat.[91][92] Pimentel filed his certificate of candidacy for representative on October 6, 2024. He has panned Teodoro for having "no word of honor" and attributed the city's per capita debt to his administration.[93][94][95] Pimentel has made the revitalization of the local shoe industry and solving the city's flood issues as core messages of his campaign.[93]
Pimentel and three others filed a petition before the first division of the COMELEC to disqualify Teodoro from the contest, citing Section 78 of the Omnibus Election Code, which establishes material misrepresentation as a ground for disqualification.[96] On December 11, 2024, the COMELEC granted the petition, thereby cancelling Teodoro's candidacy.[97] Teodoro's camp criticized the ruling as an act of "political maneuvering" and filed a motion of reconsideration.[98] Teodoro's name will remain on the ballot until the COMELEC en banc rules on the case.[99][100] Following Teodoro's suspension as mayor along with his allies, Pimentel urged the COMELEC to expedite the processing of his case.[101]
Candidates
Declared
- Koko Pimentel (Nacionalista), incumbent senator[91][92]
- Marcelino Teodoro (NUP), incumbent mayor[88][89][90]
Results
Second district
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The second district covers the barangays of Concepcion Uno, Concepcion Dos, Fortune, Marikina Heights, Parang, Nangka, and Tumana. The incumbent representative is Stella Quimbo, who has served since 2019 and was reelected in 2022 with 82.70% of the vote. Quimbo is eligible for a third term but will not seek re-election to run for mayor.[64]
Miro Quimbo, the husband of the incumbent and a former representative who held the seat from 2010 to 2019, is running for the seat under Lakas–CMD, being affiliated with the wider Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas.[64] Councilor Donn Carlo Favis, who previously ran for the seat in 2010, is contesting the seat as a member of the National Unity Party.[87] Perennial candidate Mauro Arce, who ran in 2019 and 2022, and Jose Jaime Enage, the chairman of advocate group Baybayin Buhayin, are also seeking election to the seat.[102][103]
Candidates
Declared
- Mauro Arce (Independent), candidate for representative in 2019 and 2022[104]
- Jose Jaime Enage (Independent), chairman of Baybayin Buhayin[102][103]
- Donn Carlo Favis (NUP), incumbent councilor[87]
- Miro Quimbo (Lakas), former representative for the second district[64]
Results
Notes
- Suspended since March 25, 2025. Rommel Acuña serves as acting mayor.
References
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