Sandoval – Noel showdown emerging in Malabon City 2025 polls

MANILA, Philippines — Which couple will prevail in next year’s elections in Malabon City? The Sandovals or the Noels?

It seems like the 2025 midterm elections in Malabon City will be a bit more exciting as incumbent Mayor Jeannie Sandoval and her husband, former Malabon Representative Federico “Ricky” Sandoval II, will go head-to-head with incumbent Malabon Representative Josephine “Jaye” Lacson and her husband, former An Waray Party-List Representative Florencio Gabriel “Bem” Noel.

Mayor Sandoval, who is seeking a fresh term, filed her certificate of candidacy (COC) last October 3, while former Rep. Sandoval filed his COC for a House seat last October 2.

Meanwhile, on October 5, former Rep. Noel likewise filed his COC for Malabon congressman, challenging Sandoval.

Noel was accompanied by his wife,  Rep. Lacson, who announced that she will challenge Mayor Sandoval’s reelection bid and file her COC for city mayor on  October 7.

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Malabon Vice Mayor Bernard “Ninong” dela Cruz and former Mayor Antolin “Lenlen” Aquino Oreta III also earlier submitted their COCs for congressman.

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Political dynasties: Good or bad ?

In an interview after filing his COC, former Rep. Noel claimed that running in the election with a relative could be beneficial.

“Ang (The people of) Malabon will make sure that the best couple will win,” he said.

“Ang Camanava area, may mga panahon na kaunti ang pumupunta doon, madumi, hindi ganun kaganda ang ekonomiya. Ngayong nagkasundo po, magkapatid ang sa Valenzuela, ang ganda po ng ekonomiya ng Valenzuela ngayon. Maunlad ang Navotas dahil magkapatid, maayos ang Caloocan dahil mag-ama,” he said, referring to the leaders of the cities who are related to one another.

(There was a time when only a few people would visit Camanava. It was dirty, and the economy wasn’t that good. Now that the leaders of Valenzuela are  siblings, it has a thriving economy. Navotas is prosperous because it is also led by siblings, the same with Caloocan which is led by a father and son tandem).

“Subukan po natin ngayon sa Malabon ‘yan, baka umunlad na rin at gumanda ang Malabon,” he added.

(Let’s try it in Malabon now, and maybe Malabon will also prosper.)

He also believes it is an advantage for voters if their elected officials are relatives.

“Definitely. At the very least, magkasundo, what more mag-asawa, magkapatid. Magkasundo kayo [na] kung anong programa dapat i-implement ng national, dapat kailangan niyo ng local. Kasi minsan, ang priority ng local, may not be the priority of national kung hindi nag-uusap,” he said.

(Definitely. At the very least, you get along — what more if it’s a couple or siblings? You agree on what national programs need to be implemented and what the local government needs. Because sometimes, the priorities of the local government may not align with the national government if they don’t communicate.)

Political backgrounds

Mayor Sandoval is the first female mayor of Malabon City who was elected in 2022.

She ran for mayor in 2004 but lost to Canuto “Tito” Oreta. She served as vice mayor from 2013 to 2019 and ran again as mayor against Lenlen but lost.

Rep. Lacson, on the other hand, first served as Malabon-Navotas congresswoman in 2007 before becoming a Malabon congresswoman from 2010 to 2016, and 2019 to present.

Meanwhile, former Rep.Noel served as  An Waray Party-list congressman from 2004 to 2013, and from 2019 until the group got unseated in 2023.

He noted in the interview that this would not affect his candidacy as congressman.

Former Rep. Sandoval  lost his House reelection bid to Rep. Lacson in 2019.

Before that defeat, he served as representative of Malabon-Navotas from 1998 to 2007, and as Malabon representative from 2016 to 2019.