MANILA, Philippines — Taguig Rep. Amparo Maria Zamora maintains that she is not part of any political dynasty, noting that her relatives are neither candidates or officials in the city she serves.
Zamora said this in an interview on Tuesday, after she formalized her reelection bid by filing her certificate of candidacy (COC) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) National Capital Region (NCR) office in San Juan City.
Coincidentally, Zamora’s siblings—Francis Zamora and Ysabel Zamora—are San Juan officials, being the City Mayor and lone district representative, respectively. This means, Zamora said, that they are also not part of the same branch of government.
READ: Cynthia Villar rejects dynasty tag: It was legacy of my father
“I would just like to clarify, I am not a part of any dynasty because I am alone in Taguig, I am the only Zamora running for office in Taguig,” Zamora told reporters after she filed her COC.
“My brother meanwhile is in San Juan, my sister is running again for re-election in Congress—those are both separate branches of government. My brother is at the LGU level, and my sister is a lawmaker like me,” she added.
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According to Zamora, it is within the power of the people to pick the candidates they prefer.
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READ: Senatorial aspirant Erwin Tulfo on political dynasty: Let the people decide
Prerogative of the people
“Picking candidates is the prerogative of the people, but I would like to clarify, I am not part of any dynasty even if they are my relatives and even if I love them. I am the only one in Taguig,” she noted.
“My stand there is that the act of picking candidates rests on the people, and it is our right to run for public office. The people would decide if we pass their expectations with how we work, and then they can pick,” she added.
Zamora is one of the public officials coming from political clans who disputed dynasty tags. On Monday, Senator Cynthia Villar—who is also seeking a House of Representatives seat for the 2025 midterm elections—said that they are not a dynasty.
Rather, Villar explained that what happened in their bailiwick Las Piñas City is a legacy of her late father, former Mayor Filemon Aguilar.
Aside from the Aguilars running in local politics, the Villars have been prominent figures in the national scene. Villar’s children are Deputy Speaker Camille Villar who is running for senator in 2025 and incumbent Senator Mark Villar.
Senatorial aspirant and incumbent ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo said that it is the prerogative of the people to vote for politicians they prefer. The lawmaker made the remarks amid a possibility that there would be three Tulfos in the Senate — him and his brothers, Senator Raffy Tulfo and fellow aspirant Ben Tulfo.
Over social media, there is a call for the election of new faces in the Senate, as recent surveys, like one from Pulse Asia, indicated that old names would be in the Magic 12 if elections were held in September.
In the said poll, Rep. Tulfo is slated to be the top vote-getter while behind him is his brother Ben.
In a separate survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), 10 out of the top 12 aspirants were administration-backed senatorial aspirants, with Rep. Tulfo also topping the said poll.
Last October 3, Senator Panfilo Lacson said he agrees with calls for new faces in the Senate, but he also stressed that veteran legislators are returning to the august chamber due to unfinished business with their pet projects.
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According to Lacson, an example of an unfinished business is his proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law, which has not gone past the committee level.