2016 Lipa local elections

Local elections was held in Lipa City on May 9, 2016 within the Philippine general election. The voters will elect candidates for the elective local posts in the city: the mayor, vice mayor, the congressman (which will represent Batangas' sixth district which is composed of just the city), two provincial board members, and the 12 members of its city council.

2016 Lipa mayoral election

May 9, 2016 (2016-05-09)

Nominee Meynardo Sabili Edgardo Mendoza Party UNA Liberal Running mate Raul Montealto Eric Africa

Incumbent Mayor Meynardo Sabili UNA

Unlike in the 2013 elections, voters of the city will be electing its first member in the House of Representatives, two representatives to the Batangas provincial board, and two more councilors thus bringing the councilors' total to 12 as opposed to the previous 10.

Background

Mayoral and Vice Mayoral elections

Incumbent Mayor Meynardo Sabili is running for his third and final term as Mayor of the City of Lipa. He assumed the mayorship in 2010, defeating then-incumbent and former 4th District Representative Oscar Gozos. This is despite Sabili's disqualification to run because of residency dispute. Sabili, a former Provincial Board Member used to be a registered voter Barangay Sico 1, San Juan, Batangas and transferred to Barangay Pinagtong-Ulan, Lipa City. However, the Supreme Court annulled and dismissed the Commission on Elections' ruling on Sabili's cancellation of his Certificate of Candidacy. He was initially known to be running under National Unity Party (NUP), with three-term councilor Raul Montealto as his running mate. (Montealto was Barangay Captain of Bugtong na Pulo before elected as Councilor in 2007.). However, NUP withdrew their nomination of Team Sabili due to its membership of the Koalisyong Matuwid na Daan (known as Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid), where the party has to endorse Liberal Party-nominated candidates even under the local level; therefore Sabili and his team will run as independents; hence Sabili's coalition was supported by Partido Galing at Puso of Poe-Escudero tandem, while Mendoza's coalition was supported by the aforementioned Liberal coalition (where Sabili's last party's nominee in the 2013 mid-term elections).

His opponent is Fiscal Edgardo "Gary" Mendoza who is running under the Liberal Party, the party of incumbent Governor and former City Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto. His running mate is incumbent Vice Mayor Eric Africa. Africa was elected councilor from 1998 to 2007 then from 2010 until he was elected Vice Mayor in 2013.

Congressional election

Incumbent Governor and former Mayor Vilma Santos-Recto, who is barred for another term decided to run as for a seat at the new 6th legislative district of Batangas, which only comprises the City of Lipa.[1] The city was a part of the 4th District of Batangas from 1987. This despite of the call of supporters to run for a much higher position, especially as the Vice Presidential candidate of Mar Roxas. Recto became its first female City Mayor from 1998 until she was elected first female Governor of Batangas in 2007. Her main opponent is Bernadette Sabili, wife of Mayor Meynard Sabili. Sabili first ran as Representative of the 4th District of Batangas, but was defeated by incumbent Representative Mark Llandro Mendoza. However, NUP withdrew her nomination due to its membership of the Koalisyong Matuwid na Daan, where the party has to endorse Liberal Party-nominated candidates even under the local level; therefore Sabili will run as independent.

Candidates

District Representative

2016 Philippine House of Representatives election in Batangas's 6th District (Lone District of Lipa City)

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	UNA	Bernadette Sabili	0
	Liberal	Vilma Santos-Recto	0
Total votes

Provincial Board Members

Batangas 6th District Sangguniang Panlalawigan election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Rowena Africa
	UNA	Romano Gonzales
	Liberal	Lydio Lopez, Jr.
Total votes

Mayor

Incumbent Mayor Meynardo Sabili is running for reelection. His opponent is fiscal Edgardo Mendoza.

Lipa City mayoralty elections

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Edgardo Mendoza
	UNA	Meynardo Sabili
Total votes

Vice Mayor

Incumbent Eric Africa is running for reelection. His opponent is incumbent councilor Raul Montealto.

Lipa City vice mayoralty elections

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal	Eric Africa
	NPC	Raul Montealto
Total votes

Councilors

Team Recto-Mendoza-Africa

Liberal Party/Team Recto-Mendoza-Africa

Name	Party
Leonilo Catipon		Liberal
Josef Frederick Dijan		Liberal
Nelson Gonzales		Liberal
Oscar "Junjun" Gozos II		Liberal
Pacita Leviste		Liberal
Miguel Lina III		Liberal
Mark Aries Luancing		Liberal
Aries Macala		Liberal
Aries Emmanuel "Beebong" Mendoza		Liberal
Mario Panganiban		Liberal
Merlo Silva		Liberal
Jennifer Toledo		Liberal

Team Sabili-Montealto

UNA/Team Sabili-Montealto

Name	Party
Emmanuel de Castro		UNA
Elpidio Lacorte		NPC
Carina Lina-Panganiban		UNA
Donato Linatoc		UNA
Camile Lopez		UNA
Dominador Mauhay		UNA
Mario Medina		NPC
Nonato Monfero		NPC
Joel Pua		NPC
Avior Rocafort		NPC
Ralph Peter Umali		NPC
Gwendolyn Wong		UNA

2016 Lipa City Council Elections

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	UNA	Camille Angeline Lopez
	Liberal	Mark Aries Luancing
	UNA	Gwendolyn Wong
	NPC	Joel Pua
	NPC	Ralph Peter Umali
	Liberal	Oscar "Junjun" Gozos II
	Liberal	Merlo Silva
	Liberal	Leonilo Catipon
	NPC	Avior Rocafort
	Liberal	Aries Emmanuel Mendoza
	NPC	Nonato Monfero
	UNA	Emmanuel De Castro
	UNA	Donato Linatoc
	NPC	Mario Medina
	Liberal	Jennifer Toledo
	Liberal	Pacita Leviste
	NPC	Elpidio Lacorte
	Liberal	Mike Lina
	Liberal	Aries Macala
	UNA	Dominador Mauhay
	Liberal	Josef Frederick Dijan
	Liberal	Nelson "Totoy" Gonzales
	UNA	Carina Lina-Panganiban
	NPC	Mario Panganiban
	PGP	Ariel Africa
	Independent	Ramir Bathan
	Bangon Pilipinas	Zenaida Garing
	PGP	Arven Bravo
	Nacionalista	Roy Sanggalang
	LDP	Sonia Milan-Crisostomo
	Lakas	Arlan Arnaiz
	Nacionalista	Arlan Jay Agojo
	UNA	Vergilio Felasol
	Lakas	Ireneo Aguillera
Total votes

References

1. "Ate Vi to run for Congress". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 2015-10-17.