Is the 'City of Stars' losing its political sparkle?

Quezon City's LP slate led by Mayor Herbert Bautista and Speaker Sonny Belmonte.

Despite having a reputation as the City of Stars, Quezon City might have already lost its sparkle in its own political contests.

University of the Philippines-Diliman Political Science Assistant Professor Jan Robert Go calls Quezon City politics too predictable, as the formidable tandem of Herbert “Bistek” Bautista and Josefina “Joy” Belmonte seek their third and last term.

“Quezon City's local politics might be too predictable given the lack of an actual political contests,” he said.

Bautista, an actor, is no newbie in politics. He started as chairman of the Kabataang Barangay of Barangay Immaculate Concepcion in Cubao and became president of the city's KB federation in 1985.

In 1989, he was appointed youth sector representative to the Quezon City Council. In 1992, he won a regular seat in the council representing the third district. In 1995, he scored an upset by beating reelectionist and political giant Charito Planas in the vice mayoralty race. He lost his first mayoralty bid in 1998. Bautista however, bounced back in 2001 and reclaimed his vice mayoralty seat beating former actress and reelectionist Connie Angeles. He went on to serve three terms as vice mayor before levelling up to mayor in 2010.

Belmonte, on the other hand, is the daughter of Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. who was the city's mayor from 2001 to 2010. The elder Belmonte is gunning for his fourth nonconsecutive term as congressman representing the city's 4th district.

In this elections as in 2013, Bautista and the Belmontes have no serious challengers to their posts.

Four of the six reelectionist congressmen representing the city are running unopposed.

“What affects them being the 'formidable' pair is the lack of powerful opponents running against them. They get the majority votes because their contenders are not really known, politically or otherwise,” Go said.

Bautista's reelectionist is being challenged by Alexander Lague of the Philippine Green Republican Party, Leon Peralta and Martin Sanchez Jr. His last serious opponent was former congressman and environment secretary Mike Defensor in 2010.

With practically running in a no contest election, Bautista was kept busy as the campaign manager for Metro Manila of the Liberal Party.

For the vice-mayor position, Belmonte is vying against four others, with three running as independent candidates: Glen Acol, Allan Bantillo, Henry Samonte, and Rolando Jota of Kilusang Bagong Lipunan.

The absence of strong contestations in the political arena of Quezon City might have caused the drop of voter turnouts, the political science professor said.

According to the statistics by GMA News Research, voter turnouts from 2004 elections have played around below 70 percent except in 2010 when Sonny Belmonte ended his term and gave way to the Bistek-Joy tandem.

Despite being the top vote-rich city in the country with 1.15 million registered voters this 2016 elections, voter turnouts have remained just ab In 2004, voter turnout is 67.65 percent. It dropped to 62.63 percent in 2007.

“Since there are already presumed winners at the local level, voters may not have the drive to actually vote. This is specially true during local or midterm elections,” Go said.

There are 12 celebrity candidates for city council seats, with eight seeking for reelection.

Among other celebrity candidates are: actor Alfred Vargas, running for reelection as 5th district representative; former teen star and newscaster Precious Hipolito-Castelo, comedian Roderick Paulate; Gian Carlo Sotto, son of reelectionist senator Tito Sotto; Eat Bulaga host and comedian Anjo Yllana. Actor Hero Bautista, the mayor's brother, is also vying for a local council seat.

“QC houses the two largest television networks ABS-CBN and GMA. But aside from that, many celebrities have entered the political arena since the 1990s. This is not new and not limited to QC, though. However, the number of celebrity-politicians is increasing.,” the political science professor said.

However, star-studded local elections in the city, Go underscored that factors such as proiferation of political families in the city have already limited the contenders who can rival the already well-known candidates seeking for office.

“In fact, now, there are several Belmontes in office, and another Bautista is starting to come in,” Go said.

Data by the GMA News research indicate that five from the Belmonte bloodline are incumbents -- Vice Mayor Joy, 4th District Rep Sonny, 6th District Rep. Jose Christopher, and Councilors Ricardo Jr. and Vincent. Vincent's wife, Irene Belmonte, a nephew of actor Julio Diaz, is eyeing to replace her husband in the city council.

“We see the proliferation of political families in the recent history of Quezon City politics. Such proliferation have effectively limited the contenders to political office.” Go stressed. — APG, GMA News