Cynthia Villar loses to city councilor in congressional race
MANILA, Philippines (Updated 1:21 p.m.) — Independent candidate and incumbent city councilor Mark Anthony Santos has defeated Sen. Cynthia Villar in the race for the lone congressional district of Las Piñas City.
The city's board of canvassers made the official proclamation early Tuesday morning.
According to partial, unofficial results aggregated from the media transparency server as of 12:46 p.m. on Tuesday, May 13, Santos has garnered 108,206 votes while Villar received 78,526 votes. The election returns transmitted have reached 98.90% from the city.
Two other candidates in the race, Cong Louie Redoble of Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) and independent candidate Barry Tayam, received 35,327 and 9,236 votes, respectively, based on the same partial and unofficial tally.
| # | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SANTOS, MARK ANTHONY | IND | 108,206 |
| 2 | VILLAR, CYNTHIA | NP | 78,526 |
| 3 | REDOBLE, CONG LOUIE | KNP | 35,327 |
| 4 | TAYAM, BARRY | IND | 9,236 |
Santos' victory over Villar — which many will see as an upset — comes after decades of the Villar family's dominance in Las Piñas politics, where they have held various elected positions since the 1960s.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Santos thanked his supporters and attributed his win to voters who "believed that true change is possible with compassion and service."
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Las Piñas City has around 318,542 registered voters, with election returns showing around 252,879 votes so far. This means Villar has secured support from only about a third of those who voted, while Santos leads with roughly 46% of the votes cast as of writing.
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