Las Piñas City heats up as two members from the Villar-Aguilar family face off for the city's mayoral post. Due to differences, the cousins sharing the same political roots are now competing for control over Las Piñas, where they seek to secure their family’s legacy and shape the political landscape.
Never Stepping Down
In the upcoming 2025 midterm elections, cousins April Aguilar and Carlo Aguilar eye for Las Piñas’ mayoral post, maintaining the city dominated by the Villar-Aguilar clan.
Currently, April is the city's vice mayor and aims to replace her mother, Mayor Imelda Aguilar. As April runs for mayor, Imelda will run for the vice mayoral post.
Meanwhile, Carlo Aguilar is a former city council that is running under the Nacionalista Party, a Villar-led party, as he carries Cynthia Villar's political color, orange.
Las Piñas as a ‘political territory’ of the Villar-Aguilar clan
Despite only rounding posts with relatives, Senator Cynthia Villar rejects the accusations that the Villar-Aguilar family is a political dynasty in Las Piñas City.
She instead insisted that Las Piñas is a legacy or piece of inheritance left by her late father, Filemon Aguilar, who was also the former city mayor.
“Hindi naman kami dynasty. Family kami but it has been done [by] my father since 1963, pinamana niya sa amin ang mahal naming Las Piñas, and I thought it’s for the memory of my father who really loved Las Piñas,” Villar said.
However, Louie Redoble argued that Las Piñas is now long dominated and led by the same family, which he said is the reason why runs as a city district representative.
“Hindi na kami sang-ayon sa kalakaran ng Las Piñas. Hintuin na natin ang political dynasty. Iyan ang nagpapahirap sa Pilipinas,” he added.
Aguilars leaving the Villar-led party
April and Imelda have shifted their allegiance to the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) after departing from the Nacionalista Party (NP), which is led by the Villars.
Meanwhile, Carlo is still under the Nacionalista Party together with Cynthia.
According to a press release, Las Piñas City remains a stronghold of the NP majority of national and local elected officials aligned with its ranks.
Cynthia then cited that NP is one of the oldest political parties in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, making it one of the most powerful and renowned.
“Layunin namin na mapaglingkuran kayo ng tapat at mabigyan ng mga programang mag-aangat sa buhay ng mga Las Piñeros,” Carlo said.
“Talagang ganoon ang buhay e. Ano na ‘yan e second generation. Cannot stop them," Cynthia stated.
