In Las Piñas, Cynthia Villar’s nephew, niece fight over mayoral post

MANILA, Philippines – Las Piñas City, long ruled by the Aguilar dynasty, is set to witness a clash between cousins Carlo Aguilar and April Aguilar for the city’s top post in the upcoming 2025 local elections.

April, the city’s vice mayor, is aiming to succeed her mother, Mayor Imelda Aguilar, while Imelda, now term-limited, is running for vice mayor. Both have shifted their allegiance to the Nationalist People’s Coalition after leaving the Villar-led Nacionalista Party.

On the other hand, Carlo, a former city councilor, is running under his aunt Senator Cynthia Villar’s ticket as a Nacionalista Party candidate. In 2019, Carlo earned the highest number of votes in the city’s second district. During the filing of his certificate of candidacy, Carlo carried Villar’s political color orange. He is a son of Cynthia’s brother, Christian.

Cynthia and Imelda are sisters-in-law. Cynthia’s father, Filemon Aguilar, who first became mayor in the 1960s, laid the foundation for the Aguilar family’s decades-long grip on the city’s political turf. Imelda is the wife of the late Las Piñas mayor Vergel “Nene” Aguilar, Cynthia’s brother. Nene Aguilar served as local chief executive for 18 years (1995 to 2004 and 2007 to 2016), and was succeeded by his wife.

When asked about the feud in their clan, Cynthia told reporters, “Talagang ganoon ang buhay e. Ano na ‘yan e second generation. Cannot stop them.” (That’s just how life is. They’re already the second generation. You can’t stop them.)

It is not just Imelda and April who are aiming to switch seats. Cynthia’s daughter Camille is also eyeing a seat in the Senate. Cynthia is now term-limited after winning a seat in the Senate first in 2013 and then in 2019.

If elected, Camille will again serve in the legislature at the same time as her elder brother Mark, as well as her mother in case Cynthia wins in the district elections.

– Rappler.com