The Visayas constitutes around 20 percent of the voting population, while Mindanao has 23 percent.
This was the ethno-linguistic base which brought Davao City mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte to Malacanang.
More than a half of Visayas speaks the Cebuano or Bisaya language, and almost all of Mindanao, despite different tribal origins, are conversant in the same, thus more than a third of our voters speak Bisaya.
Region 6 is largely Ilongo speaking, with some parts of Negros Occidental speaking Bisaya, and while Aklan and Antique speak Kinaray-a, they are bilingual in Ilonggo.
Aklan has been for almost three decades turf of the Miraflores-Tumbokon-Quimbo alliance, while Capiz was the stronghold of the Roxas descendants of the first president of the Third Republic, competing with Fredenil Castro in the second district, though now allied with each other.
Guimaras has been Nava country since 1988.
Iloilo has always elected Art Defensor and now his children to the governorship or congressional posts, although the now warring Tupazes still hold the northern parts, and the Garin family controlling the south, while Ferjenel Biron, the pharma billionaire has carved his own turf, though unsuccessful in several challenges to the Defensors.
Retired senator Franklin Drilon is the power behind Iloilo City, with his ally, Mayor Trenas, always in the saddle in the city.
Albee Benitez defanged long-time city mayor Bing Leonardia in what seemed to be a surprise except that lots of money supposedly flowed.
Albee transferred to Bacolod while keeping his district in the hands of a brother, and a son is now mayor of Victorias.
Fiefdoms of the sugar barons still maintain their hold on several districts, while the governor, a Lacson from San Carlos following a long line of Lacsons dominating the province, succeeded long-serving Alfredo Maranon.
Antique has a new dynasty shaping up, courtesy of Sen. Loren Legarda, who traces her ancestral roots to the Gella family of the province, and succeeded in getting her brother Tony Jr. elected congressman last May 2022.
Meanwhile, in Cebuano speaking Negros Oriental, the self-made Gov. Roel Degamo, timawa against the pedigreed origins of his predecessors, was gunned down mercilessly last month.
His rivals, the Teveses, control the south, while sugar mill heiress Juliet Sy Limkaichong holds the north after successive defeat of the Paras brothers.
Dumaguete the capital is in Philip Remollo’s hands, with his allies, the Sagarbarrias of “silvana” fame as vice-mayor and 2nd district representative.
Bohol has seen the Aumentado family back in power, while the districts remain in the hands of Ed Chatto, himself a former governor.
While there are fiefdoms as well in Cebu province, most everyone is an ally of the feisty governor, Gwen Garcia and her One Cebu political movement.
Come 2028 when her second tenure of three terms expire, she will likely be replaced by her brother, Pablo John, a bar topnotcher like their father, the highly respected Pabling.
Cebu City is back in the hands of Mike Rama, who defeated a come-backing Tommy Osmena after the untimely demise of the gentle Ed Labella who won in 2019. The Ramas are another Cebu dynasty, just as the Osmenas and Gullases of Talisay.
Region 8 is another dynasty country.
Northern Samar has the Ongs and the Dazas dividing the turf between themselves and their progeny.
Eastern Samar has Ben Evardone thwarting the Gonzaleses of Guiuan. Western Samar is now firmly in the hold of the Tan dynasty, just as the Espinas control the island province of Biliran.
Leyte, where the regional capital is, has both Waray and Cebuano-speaking voters.
The Waray country is firmly Romualdez, now led by the Speaker of the House himself, Martin, while the south is in the hands of the Loretos of Baybay, with the former governor Remedios ‘Matin’ Loreto-Petilla’s son, Ikot, now the governor after succeeding his brother Dominic.
Southern Leyte is firmly in the hands of the Mercados, although the Tans still hold sway in the southern towns.
The Zamboanga peninsula has seen some dynasties weakened, while others have maintained their hold on their fiefdoms.
In the north, it’s still the Jalosjos, Amatongs and the Labadlabad family. In the south, the Yus have thwarted attempts by the Cerilles dynasty to come back.
In Zamboanga City, Majority Floorleader Mannix Dalipe has thwarted both the Climacos and the Lobregats, long-term political titans of the city of flowers.
In Region 10, Bukidnon remains firmly under the Zubiri dynasty, and so does the island of Camiguin, a Romualdo family dynasty.
Lanao del Norte is Dimaporo country through and through.
It is in Misamis Oriental where political personalities and families see-saw in power, from the Emanos to Unabia of “lechon manok” fame, to Rufus Rodriguez, to Clarex Uy, their alliances with each other shifting as well.
In Occidental, the Parojinogs are gone, decimated by Pres. Duterte, and now, the Oaminals are in the saddle.
In the Caraga Region, the Pimentels virtually own the politics of the Surigao del Sur through three succeeding generations, thwarting PGMA’s favorite Prospero Pichay.
In Surigao del Norte, it’s the Matugas family in the northern towns and city as well as Siargao and the pother islands, while Ace Barbers holds mining towns of the mainland, and succeeded to have his brother Lyndon back as governor.
Agusan used to be entirely Plaza country when Democrito and Mana Loling were alive, but, with house divided, the remaining political heir is Eddie Bong, who controls Agusan del Sur.
The Amantes led by now governor once more Angel is the power to reckon with in Norte, even as, in Butuan City, the Amantes have been defeated by businessman Ronvic Lagnada.
Davao City, it goes without saying, is Duterte country through and through.
In Davao del Norte, former Speaker Bebot Alvarez remains in power, but the other politicos under the ambit of the Florendo-Del Rosario family are going to put up stiff competition come 2025, now that they are close to the president.
Davao Oriental is still Dayanghirang, Almario and Nunez-Malanyaon territory; Davao de Oro is in the hands of Way Kurat Zamora.
Davao del Sur is Cagas whose forebears are the long-time Davao dynasts, the Almendrases and Davao Occidental is virtually “owned” by the Bautista dynasty.
In Socksargen, long-time Chiongbian dynasty thwarted Manny Pacquiao’s plans of a family dynasty, although Pacman succeeded in re-establishing his hold in General Santos City.
No firm dynasty holds the province of South Cotabato, while in Sultan Kudarat, warring Mangudadatu cousins continue the fight for political hegemony.
And in North Cotabato, the Talinos, through Roger’s daughter Emmylou, now married to a Mendoza of Cebu and the TUCP, is dominant.
Finally, in the BARMM, Mujiv Hataman now controls Basilan while the Adiong’s and cousin Balindong, control the politics of Lanao del Sur.
Media and the academicians of this nation keep ranting against the political dynasties, but the more they cry for change, the more things remain the same
Long-gone from hegemony after the Maguindanao massacre, the Mastura and Paglas family are now in the saddle.
Abdusakur Tan is in full control of beautiful but negatively-imaged Sulu province, along with his allied families.
Visayas contributes 20 percent, while Mindanao, 23 percent of the national vote, give and take effects of recent migration.
In 2016, Rodrigo Roa Duterte of Davao City and Danao in Cebu, consolidated the votes of the entire Mindanao and more than half of the Visayas, on top of sizeable votes in the rest of Luzon to clinch the presidency, a historic feat, being the first president from Mindanao and the first city mayor to rise to the top political leadership of the country.
Full text at www.manilastandard.net
One would have hoped that, in his time, Constitutional change could have been effected, but alas, the dynasts, with their swaying party loyalties, continue to be the lay of the land.
Media and the academicians of this nation keep ranting against the political dynasties, but the more they cry for change, the more things remain the same.
If Con-Ass instead of an elected convention by region instead of by districts is the manner by which we revise the 1987 charter, expect the dynasties to call the shots.
No one among them will shoot themselves in the foot.
But if there is a two-party system where turncoatism is strictly forbidden, the competing parties will gradually decimate the dynasts through competition.
Conventions that will choose candidates, as happened during the Third Republic prior to the one-man rule of FM Senior will tend to winnow the chaff from the grain.
Remember when the Senate had a Recto, a Laurel, a Primicias, a Cuenco, a Sumulong, a Tanada, a Manglapus, a Marcos, an Aquino?
Compare that to the present crop of senators elected nationwide under a multiplicity of flags of convenience a.k.a. instant parties, and weep.
Mere celebrity status will not ensure victory in a party convention, with mayors and grassroots leaders choosing the more qualified and the more loyal to the party.
Senators elected by regions will make a difference not only in equalizing the game with each region having representation, but nationally-recognized celebrities may not be able to hold a candle against home-grown and tested leaders.
We want to abolish dynasties?
Not through term limits where dynast just passes on the baton to son or daughter, wife or sometimes even a common-law wife, no matter how under-qualified.
The only way is to revive a strong two-party system, institute election of senators by region, and tandem voting, and along with reducing the number of elections by expanding terms to five or six years instead of the over-frequent three year-terms.
