Dismissed mayor wins re-election in Porac, Pampanga
Re-elected Mayor Jaime Capil of Porac, Pampanga. (Photo from the Facebook page of Mayor ko si Jing Capil)
MABALACAT CITY, Pampanga — Despite being dismissed from office in April by the Office of the Ombudsman over his alleged involvement in a scam farm operation, Porac Mayor Jaime “Jing” Capil won re-election in the May 12 polls.
Municipal Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials proclaimed Capil, his daughter and running mate Trisha Anglie Capil, and the winning municipal councilors late Monday night.
Capil, who ran as an independent, garnered 39,939 votes, defeating former mayor Michael Tapang of the Kambilan party, who received 23,063.
Trisha Anglie Capil also won the vice mayoral race with 39,342 votes, besting Kambilan’s Vincent Lusung, who received 25,926.
Elected municipal councilors were:
Rafael Canlapan (Independent)
Maynard Lapid (NPC)
John Nuevy Venzon (Independent)
Jin Michaela Canlas (Independent)
Dexter Albert David (Kambilan)
Francis Laurence Tamayo (Independent)
Adrian Carreon (Independent)
Atty. Princess Buan (Kambilan)
A few days before the election, the Capils received the endorsement of the bloc-voting Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC).
On May 9, the Capils expressed their gratitude to INC Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo in a Facebook post.
“We sincerely thank you and the entire leadership of the Iglesia Ni Cristo for your trust in us as your chosen candidates for the upcoming May 12, 2025, elections,” Mayor Capil wrote. “This is a great honor and an inspiration for us to continue our honest, humane, and God-centered service to our town.”
On April 4, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered Capil’s dismissal and imposed a perpetual ban from holding public office, citing gross neglect of duty related to the operation of the “Lucky South 99” scam farm in Porac.
Comelec Region 3 earlier stated that Capil was no longer eligible to run. Regional Director Atty. Elmo Duque emphasized that the Ombudsman’s decision was “immediately executory.”
Capil’s legal team, however, maintains the dismissal is not yet final and remains under appeal.
In a separate Facebook post, Capil’s camp urged Duque to be cautious in making public statements.
“Atty. Elmo T. Duque of Comelec, with all due respect, please be cautious. What you’re saying isn’t accurate. There is no ‘final decision’ in our case yet. We are appealing. Mayor Jing Capil is eligible to run as a regular candidate, and the votes of trusting Poraqueños will not be wasted,” the statement read.
