Manila rivals: Mayoral contenders Moreno, Lacuna, Verzosa go to polls
MANILA, Philippines — The top contenders for Manila’s mayoral seat—incumbent Mayor Honey Lacuna, former mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso, and Rep. Sam Verzosa—cast their votes on Monday, May 12, at separate polling sites in the city.
Lacuna and Verzosa voted at Legarda Elementary School in Sampaloc, while Domagoso cast his ballot at Manuel L. Quezon Elementary School in Tondo.
All three have consistently ranked as the leading candidates in surveys, outpacing the eight other aspirants for the post.
Lacuna, Manila’s first female mayor, previously served as vice mayor under Moreno from 2019 to 2022. Their alliance fractured after Moreno, who lost his 2022 presidential bid, announced in October 2024 that he would challenge Lacuna for the mayoralty—a move Lacuna described as a betrayal.
Verzosa, before seeking the mayoral seat, was elected as a representative for the Tutok to Win Party-list, which secured a seat in the 2022 elections.
The three are among the 11 vying for the mayor's seat in the polls.
Show-cause orders
All three frontrunners received show-cause orders from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for alleged election violations. Such directives require candidates to explain why they should not be penalized for alleged election-related offenses.
On April 25, Comelec issued orders to Domagoso and Verzosa for alleged vote buying.
Verzosa told Philstar.com that he has responded to the summons, dismissing the allegations as politically motivated.
“Nakakatawa yung pinakita nila, 'yung palabas ko sa (show na) 'Dear SV,' mga tinulungan ko, binibigyan ko ng kabuhayan. Ginamit ng kalaban para i-hassle tayo (It's funny what they showed, those I've presented on (the show) 'Dear SV,' people I've helped, given livelihoods. Those were used by the enemy to hassle us),” Verzosa said.
Lacuna received a similar order on the same day, also for alleged vote buying.
If found guilty of election offenses, the candidates may face disqualification and imprisonment of one to six years.
Manila, the nation’s capital and second most populous city, has 1.14 million registered voters for the 2025 elections.
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