Aguilars dump Villar's camp

Just weeks before the filing period for the 2025 midterm elections, Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar-Neri delivered a stunning blow to the Nacionalista Party (NP) by announcing their abrupt departure yesterday.

The Aguilars are set to defect to a new political party before the deadline next month.

This comes after outgoing Senator Cynthia Villar disclosed that she will be running for a local elective position in the 2025 midterm elections.

Former senate president Manny Villar, husband of the outgoing lady senator and the head of NP, recently inked an alliance with President Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) ahead of the midterm election.

Topnotcher 1st District Councilor Mark Anthony Santos, who is reportedly a potential opponent if the 74-year-old Cynthia Villar runs for a congressional seat, also announced his intention to leave the Villars' camp.

Mayor Aguilar, the wife of the late Las Piñas Mayor Vergel 'Nene' Aguilar and sister-in-law of Sen. Cynthia Villar, was with NP and won during the 2022 synchronized elections.

On the other hand, Santos ran as an independent candidate, but campaigned for the Aguilars and Villars during the last elections.

Relations between the two Las Piñas political clans have been strained since Sen. Villar announced in July that she is considering a mayoral position or a congressional seat in the city.

In an earlier media interview, Villar also confirmed that her daughter, Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar, will run for the Senate.

“For the past three decades, the Villars and Aguilars are together in one political umbrella. But now, no more because of Mrs. Villar’s selfish political agenda,” said Santos.

Since they are severing ties with the NP for next year’s election, Santos disclosed that the Aguilars and their allies will not endorse or campaign for Rep. Camille Villar's senatorial bid in Las Piñas or surrounding areas.

Santos added that when former DPWH Chief Mark Villar ran for senator in the 2022 elections, he placed second to Sen. Loren Legarda in the official count in the city.