BOPK, Kusug take control of Cebu City Council after 2025 elections
BOPK- and Kusug-backed allies, newcomers win key Cebu City council seats
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Partido Barug, once the dominant bloc in the Cebu City Council, has lost its hold on the majority following the outcome of the May 2025 midterm elections.
The incoming 17th Sangguniang Panlungsod members usher in a new group of young and first-time councilors that could signal a major political shift in the city.
Based on the official Certificate of Canvass released by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as of May 13, allies and newcomers backed by Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) and Kugi, Uswag Sugbo (Kusug) secured key seats in the council.
READ: Election 2025: BOPK dominates Cebu City polls
BOPK’s Nestor Archival Sr., the former minority floor leader, won the mayoralty race, while former city mayor Tomas Osmeña was elected vice mayor, completing BOPK’s comeback in the city’s executive posts.
In the congressional races, former BOPK member and now Kusug reelectionist Rachel “Cutie” del Mar retained her seat in the first district, while Eduardo “Edu” Rama Jr., a Barug ally but also an adopted congressional figure of Kusug, secured another term in the second district.
In the first district council race, three political neophytes led the polls: Winston Pepito (Kusug) with 113,179 votes, Niña “Nice” Archival (BOPK) with 105,542, and Harold Kendrick Go (Kusug) with 98,052.
Other elected councilors in the district include Jaypee Labella (Kusug) with 96,972 votes, Joel Garganera (Kusug) with 94,194, Alvin Arcilla (BOPK) with 93,156, Jun Alcover (Kusug) with 84,570, and Bebs Andales (BOPK) with 83,670.
READ: Mike Rama refuses to concede Cebu City mayoral defeat
In the second district, former councilor Dave Tumulak (Kusug) made a political return and topped the race with 127,574 votes. He was followed by Phillip Zafra (Barug) with 108,520, and Paul Labra (BOPK) with 107,270.
Also elected were Jose Abellanosa (BOPK), Francis Esparis (Barug), and Harry Eran (Barug). Two newcomers also earned seats: Michelle Abella (BOPK) with 90,061 votes and Mikel Rama (Barug) with 94,847.
The results mark a shift from the 16th City Council, where Partido Barug had held the majority, with then-Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros serving as presiding officer. Hontiveros lost his vice mayoral bid to Osmeña.
Other key Barug members, including former majority floor leader Jocelyn Pesquera and assistant floor leader James Cuenco, also failed in their respective election bids.
With the new composition, Partido Barug has been relegated to the minority, losing its grip on council leadership. The incoming council will see a realignment of alliances, with BOPK and Kusug-backed councilors expected to lead key committees and decisions.
Returning councilors who retained their posts include Garganera, Labella, Alcover, Zafra, and Esparis. Meanwhile, veteran figures such as Rey Gealon, Joy Augustus Young, Jerry Guardo, Renato Osmeña Jr., Mary Ann de los Santos, and Noel Wenceslao either lost or did not run.
The positions for ex-officio members, Rhea Mae Jakosalem of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation and Franklyn Ong of the Association of Barangay Councils, may also shift depending on the outcome of upcoming barangay elections.
Comelec reported a voter turnout of 84.52 percent, with 609,789 ballots cast out of 721,469 registered voters. All 790 clustered precincts across Cebu City were successfully canvassed. /clorenciana
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