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After the period of appointed mayors following Philippine independence, Naga City held its first mayoral election in 1959. The political history of Naga City since the start of mayoral elections can be divided into three periods as shown in Figure 3-1.
The first period began in 1963 when Ramon H. Felipe Jr. and Vicente P. Sibulo gained political dominance as mayor and vice mayor, and later as a congressman and mayor respectively. This period coincided with the time of the two-party system of the Nacionalista Party and Liberal Party at the national level. Elections were held regularly at both the national and local levels, and the Philippines was held up as a "showcase of democracy" in Asia.
The second period was the era of Luis R. Villafuerte, who emerged as a new political kingpin in the Bicol Region during the Marcos martial law regime. He started out as a member of the Interim Batasang Pambansa (National Assembly) in 1978, and then became minister of trade. He defected to the opposition near the end of Marcos's rule and was reelected as a member of the regular Batasang Pambansa. He survived the 1986 EDSA Revolution and assumed the chairmanship of the Presidential Commission on Government Reorganization, and later on, won the provincial governorship for Camarines Sur. He was influential not only in Naga City politics but also in Camarines Sur politics. He placed his follower, Carlos G. del Castillo, as mayor of Naga City and controlled the city's politics through him.
The third period was that of the Jesse M. Robredo administration. Robredo won the 1988 election, which was the first local election after the EDSA Revolution. He stayed in office until 1998 completing three consecutive terms which is the maximum limit allowed under the 1987 Constitution. After letting his ally, Sulpicio S. Roco, hold the mayorship for a term, Robredo came back as mayor again in 2001.
Each of the three periods has its own uniqueness. But what they have in common is that during their times in office, the power holders attained a monopoly over state resources, both national and local, within the territorial limits of Naga City. This chapter will examine the pattern of political power in Naga City since Philippine independence, paying...