Metro Manila, Philippines – Philip Acop, the son of the late Rep. Romeo Acop, was proclaimed the winner of the special election for Antipolo City’s second district representative on Sunday, March 15.
Acop topped the race with 60,051 votes, a landslide victory against his five opponents, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The special poll had a voter turnout of around 33 percent, meaning more than 84,000 out of over 252,000 registered voters went to polling precincts on Saturday.
Acop will succeed his late father, who died of a heart attack in December. Their family had held Antipolo’s second legislative district since 2010.
The 51-year-old doctor served as an Antipolo City councilor from 2013 to 2022.
He promised to deliver the city’s tertiary hospital within his short term, which runs until June 2028.
A resident filed a disqualification complaint against him with the Comelec on March 2 over alleged vote-buying. The complainant was represented by Mark Tolentino, who also serves as a lawyer of another candidate, Red Llaga.
Llaga, who failed in the mayoralty elections in May 2025, wooed Duterte supporters in his congressional bid but was far behind Acop, only receiving 12,054 votes.
In a Facebook post, Tolentino said Llaga respects the democratic process and accepts Acop’s proclamation.
But Tolentino and Llaga alleged “serious electoral irregularities” during the election and said they will pursue all legal remedies, including a disqualification petition, election protest, and complaints for election offenses.
