Antipolo city: National Unity Party (NUP) candidate Philip Acop emerged victorious in the special election for the second congressional district of Antipolo City, conducted on Saturday. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially declared Acop the winner following a manual canvassing of votes at Ynares Center early Sunday. According to Philippines News Agency, Acop received a total of 60,051 votes, surpassing his nearest competitor, Reden Llama, who garnered 12,054 votes. Other candidates in the race included Paulo Tapales with 10,080 votes, Nathaniel Lobigas with 754 votes, Dandin Infante with 412 votes, and Maria Trinidad Cafirma with 199 votes. Acop, a former councilor of Antipolo, will succeed his father, Romeo Acop, who passed away on December 20, 2025. Comelec Chairperson George Garcia noted the challenges faced in organizing the special election due to budget constraints, stating, 'Despite the very short period given to us by law, the Comelec was able to conduct the Antipolo 2nd Congressional Di strict Special Election. We do not have a budget for that.' Data provided by the poll body indicated that only 83,550 registered voters took part in the election, accounting for just 33 percent of the total 252,793 registered voters. Philip Acop is set to take his oath of office, which will be administered by Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares on Monday.
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