ALBAY, Philippines – In Masbate, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte in the Bicol Region, dynasty wars are the general rule in the 2025 midterm polls with many old political names vying for local posts. In Camarines Sur, however, there’s a new politician challenging Lray Villafuerte for the gubernatorial post, a battle worth watching in this year’s local elections.

In the first part of our report on the Bicol races in the 2025 polls, Rappler listed the must-track matches across Albay, Sorsogon, and Catanduanes. It highlighted the dominant political dynasties, their intertwined businesses, and some challengers from influential businesses in the region.

Masbate

The Kho family largely controls Masbate’s political landscape due to their dominant businesses across the province, including the Kho Shipping Lines. They have long monopolized politics in all districts, effectively securing top local posts.

This year, incumbent Governor Antonio T. Kho, now a 1st District representative candidate in the midterm elections, faces no opposition. His six other family members are also seeking key local executive positions.

His wife, incumbent Vice Governor Elisa “Olga” Kho, is running for 2nd District representative, while their son, Richard Kho, is seeking to succeed his father as governor.

Antonio’s daughter and incumbent 2nd District Representative Ara Kho is vying for the mayoral post in Masbate City, and his other son, Wilton Kho, is running for 3rd District representative.

Wilton’s wife and incumbent Mandaon Mayor Kristine “Tintin” Salve Kho is seeking reelection. The Khos are being challenged by another political dynasty in Masbate, the Tuasons.

Outgoing Masbate City Mayor Socrates Tuason is running for governor, while his brother Noel Tuason, along with Sherman Valera, is competing against Olga. The Tuasons are backed by the Liberal Party, while the Khos are supported by the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD).

Masbate voters are now faced with choosing between these political dynasties as the leaders of their province for the next three years. They face pressing environmental issues that have remained unresolved for generations.

These issues include destructive mining in the municipalities of Mandaon, Milagros, Aroroy, Balud, San Fernando, and Monreal, illegal fishing in Aroroy, and water shortages across the province, despite six municipalities receiving P10 million each for water system projects since 2011.

The long-standing environmental issues plague thousands of residents in the province, which have contributed to Masbate’s poverty incidence still being at 12.9%, equivalent to 233,937 residents, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s poverty incidence report in 2024. Regardless of who wins in the upcoming elections, significant work lies ahead for the people of Masbate, leaving voters compelled to make critical decisions.

Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur boasts multiple enduring clans that have cemented their grip on power for generations, with the Villafuertes being the most prominent.

Incumbent 2nd District Representative Luis Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte’s latest campaign advertisement highlights his extensive history as a successful entrepreneur before entering politics. However, long before his business venture, his family was already engaged in politics, predating the Martial Law regime of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos.

This year, his sons and wife are also running for office. His sons, incumbent Governor Vincenzo Renato Luigi Villafuerte, is running for 2nd District representative, and Miguel Luis “Migz” Villafuerte, is seeking re-election as 5th District representative.

Lray’s wife, Lara Maria Villafuerte, and another son, Julio Mari Villafuerte, are the second and third nominees of the Bicol Saro party-list group. The Villafuertes are effectively exchanging seats in a bid to maintain key positions in Camarines Sur.

Filipino actress and model Yassi Pressman, Luigi’s girlfriend, has endorsed Bicol Saro in an online advertisement that received criticisms among netizens. A Facebook user named Francis Ocampo said, “Impossible commitment to voters! Bullet train to Bicol?…High-speed rail was estimated to be close to 100 billion [US] dollars, where will we get the 5.7 trillion pesos?”

Lray’s gubernatorial run is now being challenged by Bong Rodriguez, a neophyte and Leni Robredo’s former regional campaign manager. Rodriguez is relying heavily on the support of students and younger voters, particularly following Lray’s online attack on the editors of a student publication of Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges, The SPARK. The attack triggered responses from various campus publications in the region.

Champagne Carpio, a political science professor from Ateneo de Naga University (AdNU), earlier told Rappler that Rodriguez faces an enormous challenge in competing against Villafuerte for the gubernatorial post. Carpio emphasized that voter connection and effective campaign strategies will be crucial for Rodriguez in challenging the province’s most influential dynasty.

Former Vice President Leni Robredo is now returning to Naga to run for mayor of the city where her husband, the late Jesse Robredo, served 3 consecutive terms twice — from 1988 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010.

Leni Robredo ran for public office and won for the first time in 2013 in a contest that pitted her against Lray’s wife, Lara Maria, for the position of 3rd District representative.

Robredo is being challenged by three independent candidates: Ganda Abrazado, Louie Ortega, and Lray’s cousin, Toots De Quiros.

Camarines Norte

While five of the six provinces in Bicol are witnessing clashes between political dynasties, Camarines Norte presents a contest between candidates from the same political clan. Cousins Rosemarie Panotes and Joseph Christopher “Concon” Panotes are engaged in a head-to-head battle for the 2nd District, alongside independent candidate Doc Ninoy Ferrer.

Beyond the Panotes family, the Padillas and Tallados are also firmly holding on to their local seats. Senator Robin Padilla’s brother, Ricarte “Dong” Padilla, is seeking re-election as the province’s governor, facing Edgardo “Egay” Tallado.

Tallado’s wife, Josie, is seeking re-election as the 1st District representative, challenged by Cathy Barcelona-Reyes. Their son, Alvin, the incumbent vice mayor, is challenging the incumbent mayor, Jojo Francisco, for the mayoral post in Labo.

Meanwhile, Robin and Dong’s brother, Casimero “Kuatro” Base Padilla, is also seeking re-election as Jose Panganiban’s vice mayor, alongside their nephew, Jeroy Padilla, who is seeking re-election as a municipal councilor. Kuatro is running against Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) candidate Artem Andaya.

The Tallados and Padillas were formerly allies, owing to both being members of the NPC, but got into a rift in the 2022 elections. The two clans are now competing against each other for the top posts in the province and its districts.