Magnificent Manila vs. Bagong Maynila in 2025

With one month and half to go (48 days) before the deadline of filing of certificates of local candidates beginning October 1, the showdown of former colleagues, incumbent Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna and defeated Presidential candidate and former Mayor Isko Moreno appears inevitable.

Mayor Lacuna has formally joined Lakas-NUCD, the party of House Speaker Martin Romualdez witnessed by five of six Manila Congressmen e.g. Joel Chua, Benny Abante, Ronaldo Valeriano, Irwin Tieng, Edward Maceda and Vice Mayor Yul Servo. Also in attendance were 20 members of the Manila city council. This development is politically significant since LAKAS-NUCD is the official umbrella party of the President.

Lacuna however said that amid any political circumstances, she regards Moreno as family and stressed that in Manila, “love of family endures.” “Thus, I am giving my dear brother, former Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, time to reconsider his plans. He still has time to reflect on his decision. As his Ate in public service, I am here to guide him,” Lacuna said.

Lacuna won 63.68 percent or a total of 538,595 votes in the 2022 mayoralty elections while Moreno’s win over former President Joseph Estrada was 50.15 percent or 357,925 votes. Lacuna beat her nearest rival by 371,687 votes in 2022 while Moreno’s win over Estrada was just 147,320 votes in 2019.

With the inevitable breakup of the vaunted Lacuna-Moreno coalition, this coming Manila elections becomes open contest.

For his part, Isko Moreno will create a new party called “Bagong Maynila” to replace the former Asenso Manilenyo. He is joined by 13 out of 36 Manila councilors led by Timothy Oliver Zarcal, Darwin Awi Sia, Elmer Par and RJ Bagatsing among others and Tondo congressman Ernesto Dionisio.

He continues to build up his mayoralty slate for next year that included his son Joaquin as a candidate for councilor.  He also introduced to the 132 Tondo baranggay captains, he treated in an exclusive meeting in Pasay city, his probable vice Mayor, former councilor Ali Atienza, son of former mayor Lito Atienza. This large gathering was reportedly a show of force and “financial muscle” of Isko’s determination to run next year. The parting of ways between Lacuna and Moreno has become more pronounced in Manila city hall with mass resignations of key allies of Moreno, including the chief of the Manila Traffic and Parking Bureau.  

Other names reportedly interested in Manila city hall are billionaire Front Row owner and Tutok to win party list representative Samuel Verzosa Jr, beau of actress Rhian Ramos and longtime Sampaloc resident. Former Senator Manny Pacquiao, (senatorial surveys 7^th to 14^th) who has a residential building in P-Paredes, Sampaloc, Manila is interested in Manila together with, Presidential sister and senator Imee Marcos (senatorial survey 10^th to 16^th).

It is open secret that running for mayor in the city of Manila with a complete slate of councilors and congressmen, will entail a campaign fund of at least one billion pesos.  Now who among these candidates have that wherewithal and the better chance to win? But of course, come to think of it, this is cheaper than a Senate run.

But being watched closely today is the is the move of Partido Federal, the President’s personal party, headed by its Manila chairman Alex Lopez, who may push for a free political zone or “zona libre” in the city of Manila.  Lopez, now chairman of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) is not interested in running for Manila mayor next year.  But there are serious talks ongoing between Manila politicians with the camps of Pacquiao and Imee Marcos. Today there is a serious jockeying for the final twelve slots of the administration’s 2025 senatorial line-up and compromises can happen between now and October.

And politicians, seeing a big opportunity in Manila where the former “winning alliance” between Lacuna and Moreno is expected to head towards limbo. More so, if they will not resolve their differences in the coming elections, then a strong third-party contender may emerge as a new winner in what would be a close election fight next year in the city of Manila.

Marikina, Makati are emerging as cities that will have a close electoral fight next year.

Graduating senator Nancy Binay will be fighting an uphill battle with Congressman Kid Pena, his father’s electoral conqueror, and brother-in-law Luis Campos, husband of outgoing Makati Mayor Abby Binay.

 The outgoing mayor has reportedly affiliated herself with the Nationalist Peoples Coalition (NPC) and hoping that she will be one of the ddparty’s NPC senatorial candidates in 2025. She also doused previous reports that she will run for Mayor in Taguig. There are also reports that the camp of Rep. Campos is wooing Pena to agree to become his vice mayor for the 2025 mayoralty elections. But no definite answer yet until of course on October 1, the filing of certificates of candidacy.

However, recent political reports indicate that Rep.  Kid Peña is initially leading the mayoralty race in Makati with senator Nancy Binay on second place and and Rep. Luis Campos a very close third.  Will this be the end of the Binay dynasty in Makati?

In Marikina, last termer Mayor Marcy Teodoro will be fielding his wife 1st district Rep. Maan Jimenez Teodoro against Lakas NUCD rep. Stella Quimbo, 2^nd district representative.  Outgoing mayor Teodoro will run as congressman in her wife’s district.

It is also reported that a certain Ces Reyes will run as congresswoman to replace Stella in her district while former Marikina mayor Del De Guzman will also run as her tandem Vice Mayor. Recently, Stella Quimbo took her oath as an official of Speaker’s party, Lakas-NUCD.

There are also talks that former Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando, wife of deceased former MMDA chair Bayani Fernando, is being persuaded to run for the mayoralty slot in the coming local elections. A very able city administrator and renowned for her integrity, Marides Fernando’s entry will sweeten the pot for next year elections.  If this happens, then it will be an interesting all-female mayoralty contest in Marikina city.