MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte filed her certificate of candidacy on Tuesday, October 1, seeking a third consecutive term in office.
Belmonte filed her COC alongside her long-time running mate, incumbent Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, with whom she has campaigned since the 2019 midterm elections.
Related Stories
If both are reelected, this will be their final three-year term as Quezon City mayor and vice mayor due to the three-consecutive term limit. However, they would be eligible to run again after a three-year break from office.
In a statement, Belmonte expressed her intent to continue serving Quezon City residents by advancing the good governance projects and programs they have initiated in the past six years.
Among the initiatives her term is known for is the Right to Care Card which provides LGBTQIA+ members with the right to decide for their partners concerning health and medical matters.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the city government offered its residents with disabilities a month’s supply of free mental health medication, which was replenishable depending on supply.
The Quezon City government has also actively engaged in climate action initiatives by promoting sustainable transportation, including electrified and free bus services, enhancing bike paths, establishing refilling stations, and banning single-use utensils.
Belmonte first served as the city’s vice mayor for nine years before pursuing her first mayoral bid in 2019.
She is the daughter of Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr., a former Quezon City mayor and House speaker, and the late Betty Go-Belmonte, who founded The Philippine STAR.
Sotto, on the other hand, is the son of former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III who ran for the country’s vice president in the 2022 national elections.
The first to file their COC was Belmonte's nephew, Mikey Belmonte, who is seeking reelection for councilor in the city's 2nd District.
Other aspirants in Quezon City include reelectionist Rep. Arjo Atayde (Quezon City, 1st District) and his cousin Gabriel Atayde, who will run for councilor in the 1st District under Belmonte’s Serbisyo sa Bayan Partylist.
Another candidate is actor Enzo Pineda, who is vying for the councilor seat in the city's 5th District. Current House Assistant Majority Leader Rep. PM Vargas (Quezon City, 5th District) is also seeking reelection.
As of the first day of COC filing, no other candidates have filed for the Quezon City mayoral race. In 2022, Belmonte faced former Rep. Mike Defensor (Anakalusugan Party) as her opponent.
--
Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates digital news outlet Philstar.com. This article was produced following editorial guidelines.