A Las Piñas city councilor filed his certificate of candidacy for the city’s lone congressional seat on Sunday, saying that he is ready to face bigger odds in his quest for gaining the post at the House of Representatives.

Joaquin “Jun” Almeda will run as an independent candidate in the 2025 midterm elections.

Almeda, a seven-term city councilor in the First District, said he is running for Congress to challenge billionaire Senator Cynthia Villar, who is gunning for the congressional seat.

“This would be the first time that I would be running to a higher position in my beloved city of Las Piñas since I entered politics in 1989, after being elected as the youngest councilman of Barangay Elias Aldana,” Almeda said.

He added that he has faced pressure from friends and relatives to not run against the Villar clan, but he believes he can win despite being an underdog.

“Two months ago, when I announced that I would be running for the city’s lone congressional seat to challenge billionaire Sen. Cynthia Villar, there were already political pressures from concerned friends and relatives convincing me not to go against anyone especially from the Villar clan,” Almeda narrated.

“I was also enlightened by my friends that I was in the wrong side by wrangling with the very influential and ‘vulgar’ lady politician not only in Las Pinas but in the entire country. I’ve always been an underdog. I feel like I would beat the odds,” he added.