San Juan Mayor Zamora files bid for 3rd term: ‘Babalik pa ba sa luma?’

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Incumbent San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora on Tuesday formalized his bid for reelection aiming his third and final term.

I am confident that because we worked hard, even against whoever challenges us, Mayor Francis Zamora and Team Makabagong San Juan will return to our city,” he said in Filipino when he faced the media during the filing of his certificate of candidacy

Zamora first won the city’s top seat in 2019, defeating Ejercito-Estrada scion Janella Estrada in his second attempt to end the clan’s decades-long hold on San Juan.

“The people of San Juan have seen the difference. Babalik pa ba kayo sa dati? Babalik pa ba kayo sa luma?” Zamora said.

(The people of San Juan have seen the difference. Will you return to the old?)

READ: Zamora fires back at Ejercito, rejects ‘vindictive’ tag

Zamora’s sister, Bel, is running for a second term to represent the city’s lone congressional district in the House, the same seat their father, Ronaldo, had held for a total of 29 years.

When asked how they ensured checks and balances given their family ties, Zamora said, “Kapag mayroong magkamag-anak na napoposisyon sa gobyerno, hindi naman yan dahil tinalaga namin ang sarili namin sa posisyon na yan. Pinagkatiwalaan kami ng aming mga mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng halalan.”

(If family members are positioned in government, it’s not because they appointed themselves to that position. They were entrusted by their citizens through the means of election.)

He added, “Kung maganda naman at maayos ang aming ginawa, ibabalik nila kami. When it comes to ensuring checks and balances, ang tanong ko sa inyo: mayroon ba kami ginawang alanganin?”

(If what we did was good and well, they will send us back. When it comes to ensuring checks and balances, my question is: did we do anything wrong?)

Zamora is running under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the same banner he ran under during the 2022 polls, where Zamora’s slate won all of the city’s posts.

The incumbent San Juan mayor vowed to finish the city’s infrastructure projects, including high-rise housing units, a sports complex and a local government center.

READ: San Juan City Mayor Zamora elected as Metro Manila Council President

“Only expect the best as I finish my nine years,” he added.

Zamora has also been Metro Manila Council President since 2022.