MANILA, Philippines – In a major political shift in San Pablo City, Laguna, Barangay Councilor Arcadio “Najie” Gapangada Jr. defeated reelectionist Mayor Vicente Amante whose family has controlled city hall for over three decades.
The Barangay San Francisco councilor was proclaimed winner of the San Pablo mayoral race early Tuesday morning, May 13, after securing 70,822 votes against Amante’s 66,352 votes.
It was a tight race for mayor in the city that has been ruled by the Amantes since 1990. The political clan’s patriarch, Vicente, first served as mayor in 1992 and held the post for three terms, until 2001.
The late former congressman Florante Aquino served as mayor for only one term, from 2001 to 2004, followed by Vicente who again served three terms from 2004 to 2013. He was succeeded by his son, Loreto, who also served three terms fom 2013 to 2022.
Vicente reclaimed city hall in 2022, while Loreto won as Laguna 3rd District representative. Loreto was reelected in the 2025 elections.
Aside from Vicente and Loreto, several other members of the Amante family ran in the 2025 elections. Vicente’s partner, Gem Castillo, ran for vice governor but lost. Two Amantes ran for the San Pablo City council — Ambo and Tibor — but only Ambo won.
Tin Amante-Picaso, Vicente’s granddaughter, is the third nominee of party-list group Ako Bisaya. Based on the Commission on Elections’ latest partial and unofficial count, the party-list group has 470,782 votes, and secured at least one congressional seat.
‘People’s hope for a better San Pablo’
San Pableños are looking to Gapangada to deliver reforms in basic social services — initiatives he actively championed during his time as a Laguna board member. With fresh ideas and a reform-oriented approach, he is expected to steer San Pablo toward progress after decades under the leadership of the Amante political clan.
The second time’s the charm for Gapangada, who first challenged Vicente Amante in the San Pablo mayoral race in 2022. Gapangada is no stranger to San Pablo governance, as he had served as a board member of Laguna’s 3rd District for three terms from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. During his stint as board member, he championed programs on education, health, and agriculture.
He later served as barangay councilor in San Francisco village.
Gapangada victory over Amante surprised many, given his lack of resources and political machinery — but not his supporters, who had long called for change and better governance in the city.
Amante’s election defeat followed growing disappointment among San Pableños after some city hall operations and other services were moved to an area near the mayor’s residence. Rumors also circulated that he planned to relocate the public market to the same area — an unpopular move that many feared would cause inconvenience due to limited accessibility and transportation options.
In a text message to Rappler on Wednesday, April 14, reelected Laguna 3rd District Board Member Karla Adajar celebrated Gapangada’s mayoral victory, calling it “the people’s hope for a better San Pablo.”
“Panalo po ‘yun ng taumbayan. Ang ginawa ko lang ay kampihan po ang mga tao para manindigan na may mali sa kanilang ginagawa na sa San Pablo,” said Adajar, a fierce critic of the Amantes.
(This is the people’s victory. All I did was side with the people to stand up against the wrongdoing happening in San Pablo.) – Rappler.com