DASMARIÑAS CITY, CAVITE, Philippines — Mayor Jennifer Barzaga, the mother of expelled Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga, has emerged as the likely winner in Saturday’s special election for Cavite’s 4th congressional district.
Former Dasmariñas Vice Mayor Raul Rex Rosario Mangubat, one of the five contenders in the congressional race, conceded defeat Saturday night to Jennifer, as partial and unofficial votes as of 8:30 p.m. showed her leading with 185,668 votes, reflecting 41.50 percent of registered voters in the city.
Mangubat placed a far second, garnering 23,208 votes so far.
“The elections are over, and the decision of our constituents is clear. I wholeheartedly congratulate Jenny Barzaga. Dasmarineños have entrusted you with their votes, their hopes, and their future,” Mangubat said.
READ: Ex-vice mayor Mangubat concedes Dasmariñas congressional race
The special election was called after the House of Representatives expelled 27-year-old Kiko, who had occupied the legislative seat since 2025. His expulsion on June 2 created a vacancy in the district that has been closely associated with the Barzaga family for 26 years.
The House expelled Kiko after adopting a committee report finding him guilty of “disruptive” and “disorderly” conduct in violation of parliamentary rules.
“Democracy is not just about our right to choose. It is also about the humility to accept and respect the decision of the majority,” Mangubat said as he thanked his supporters and urged them to put aside political color and differences.
“There is only one city we love and one success we should strive for: the development of every Dasmarineño,” he pointed out.
Rain keeps voters home
In Saturday’s balloting, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it expected voter turnout to fall below its earlier projection of 60 percent to 65 percent as the southwest monsoon brought heavy rainfall across Cavite and other parts of the country.
READ: Low voter turnout expected in Dasmariñas City special polls due to rain
Comelec Chair George Garcia said the poll body would already be satisfied if at least half of Dasmariñas’ 447,387 registered voters cast their ballots in the special election.
“Right now, we would be content if at least 50 percent of the people voted,” Garcia said in Filipino in a chance interview.
He urged voters to prioritize their safety while exercising their right to vote. Garcia said voters, particularly those with health concerns and underlying conditions, could opt to remain at home because of the weather.
“When things are like that, naturally, some people take greater care of their health,” he said.
The state weather bureau had placed the entire province of Cavite under an orange rainfall warning as of 8 a.m., indicating rainfall of between 100 and 200 millimeters that could cause flooding and other hazards.
Regular voting hours, which began at 7 a.m., were extended by two hours until 5 p.m. to give voters more time to reach polling places.
Early voting for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant women began at 5 a.m., along with voting for persons deprived of liberty.
Aug. 29 was declared a special nonworking day in Dasmariñas City to allow residents to participate in the special election.
The 4th district was created in 2009 and consists entirely of Dasmariñas City.
Apart from Jennifer, four other candidates were seeking the congressional post: former Vice Mayor Raul Rex Rosario Mangubat; former Councilor Jacinto Bautista Frani Jr.; Marvin Opamin Dupal-ag; and Leysander Aguilar.
For the Barzagas, the election is about more than replacing an expelled lawmaker. A victory by Jennifer would allow the family to retain a congressional seat it has occupied for most of the district’s existence.
The Barzaga family’s political dominance in Dasmariñas dates to 1998, when Elpidio “Pidi” Barzaga Jr. became mayor.
Pidi served as mayor from 1998 to 2007 and again from 2016 to 2019. He later represented Dasmariñas in Congress, first as representative of the former 2nd district from 2007 to 2010 and then as the first representative of the newly created 4th district from 2010 to 2016 and from 2019 until his death in April 2024.
Jennifer, Pidi’s wife, also served as mayor from 2007 to 2016 before becoming the district’s representative from 2016 to 2019. She returned to the mayoralty in 2019 and was reelected in 2022 and 2025.
Now, she is seeking to return to Congress through Saturday’s special election.
A victory by Jennifer would allow the family to retain the district’s congressional seat after Kiko’s expulsion, continuing a succession of Barzagas in the city’s mayoralty and congressional representation.
The contest could also trigger another transfer of power within the family.
Low turnout
Should Jennifer leave the mayoralty for Congress, Vice Mayor Thirdy Barzaga, her son and Kiko’s brother, is expected to succeed her as mayor under the rules on local succession.
The city’s top-ranking councilor would then assume the vice mayoralty.
The family has credited its long tenure in government with helping transform Dasmariñas from a predominantly rural municipality into a first-class component city.
Pidi has been recognized for his key role in the city’s conversion and authored legislation that paved the way for its cityhood in 2019.
But even as the special election tests the Barzagas’ political strength, weather conditions have raised concerns over how many voters will actually participate.
Garcia noted that special elections typically draw fewer voters than regular national or local elections. He cited the recent special election in Antipolo City, where turnout reached only 31 percent, and a plebiscite in Parañaque City that recorded 17.4 percent.
“But hopefully, it’s higher in this case, because the position they are looking to fill is also very important,” Garcia said.
Still, he stressed that turnout would not determine whether the election produces a winner.
The congressional contest is decided under the plurality system, meaning the candidate who receives the highest number of votes wins even without securing a majority of registered voters.
“Even if it involves only a few thousand, as long as there are votes cast, there is no failure of election,” Garcia said, adding that low turnout by itself would not prevent the proclamation of a winning candidate.
Dasmariñas has about 1,300 precincts, which Comelec officials said were being processed through 10 subcanvassing units handling roughly 130 precincts each.
Garcia said the Comelec expected the official results and proclamation to be completed before 5 a.m. on Sunday. /cb
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